Question

Difference between simple majority and effective majority

Answer 1

Simple majority means that one party got more votes than other but effective majority means that their was a minor difference in the votes of both parties.

Answer 2

The simple majority is also called as “working majority’. This implies that the majority of more than fifty percent of the members of the legislature present and voting excluding the member abstaining.

» Example:

Total strength of Lok Sabha: 545

Vacant Seats: 5

Members present: 500

Members present, but decide to abstain / not to vote: 40

Members present and voting: 500-40=460

Simple Majority, in this case, would be: [460/2] +1 =231


» A Simple majority is used in most of the normal bills and a number of provisions in the Constitution can be amended by a simple majority of the two Houses of Parliament outside the scope of Article 368.




Effective strength of the house is the total strength of the house- the number of vacancies.

» Effective Majority of the house means more than 50%  of the effective strength of the House.

» “A MAJORITY OF ALL THE THEN MEMBERS” is the phrase used in Indian constitution to describe effective majority.