Floor Test
Constitutional Basis and Governor's Role
A floor test is the constitutional mechanism by which a government demonstrates it commands the confidence of the elected legislature. It is not expressly mentioned in the Constitution as a named procedure but is derived from the collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the legislature under Article 164(2) (for states), which mirrors the Union provision under Article 75(3). The Governor's authority to summon the House and require a confidence vote flows from Article 175(2), which empowers the Governor to "address the Legislature of the State assembled together, and may for that purpose require the attendance of members." The Supreme Court has confirmed — in Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Ors. v. Speaker, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly (2020) — that the Governor is within his constitutional right to summon the House and order a floor test when there is reasonable doubt about whether the government commands majority support.
- Article 164(2): The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly — the constitutional basis for requiring a confidence vote.
- Article 175(2): Empowers the Governor to summon the House; this is the operative provision for ordering a floor test.
- A simple majority on the floor test requires more than half of members present and voting (not total membership), but convention and court rulings treat the majority mark as crossing the threshold of more than half the total House strength for a new government's legitimacy test.
- In a 234-seat House, the majority mark is 118 (50% + 1 of total members = 117.5, rounded up to 118).
- The Governor's discretion to summon a floor test is a judicially reviewable constitutional discretion — the Governor cannot delay indefinitely, and courts have directed urgent floor tests in past cases (e.g., Karnataka 2018, Goa 2017).
● Tracked since February 06, 2026 · last seen May 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes