What are absolute and simple majorities?

Simple Majority:

Simple majority refers to a majority of more than 50% of the members present and voting in the House. For example, in the Lok Sabha, out of the total strength of 545, suppose 45 were absent and 100 abstained from voting. This means, only 400 members were present and voting. In this case, the simple majority needed is 201 (50% + 1).

Absolute Majority:

Absolute majority refers to a majority of more than 50% of the House’s total membership. This means that in the Lok Sabha, the absolute majority is 273. (50% more than 545, the total membership of the Lok Sabha).

Further Reading:

• Types of Majorities in the Indian Parliament
• Polity Notes for UPSC

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