Parliament
207 on paper, 204 in the ballot box: where did the other three go?
The government won its confidence vote easily. There's just a small remainder in the maths.
The news
On 22 October 2026, the House of Representatives approved the government programme by 204 votes to 127, out of 331 voting. The required threshold was 198 votes.
The four majority parties hold 207 seats. No breakdown of the gap has been published, and Finances News points out that it does not by itself prove dissent.
Of the 395 seats, 64 took no part in this vote.
Balwara index2/5
The win is clear. The absences need explaining.
The commentary
Satirical opinion from the editorsThree votes is not a crisis. Maybe traffic, maybe coffee, maybe another meeting. We have no evidence of anything, which is exactly why we're asking.
But the number to remember is 64. A citizen who doesn't vote is an "abstainer". An MP who doesn't vote? Surely had a prior engagement.