one vote to reach the required two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha, with 149 voting for and 75 against. On 6 September 1970, the President of India passed an laconic order in respect of each of the rulers of former Indian states. In exercise of the power vested in him under Article 366(22) of the constitution, the President directed that with effect from the date of his order, all rulers ceased to be recognised as rulers. That resulted in the immediate termination of the privy purses received by the rulers, and the discontinuance of their personal privileges. Writ petitions under Article 32 of the constitution were filed by some of the rulers as test cases to question the orders. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the rulers. It was again proposed before Parliament in 1971, and was successfully passed as the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India in 1971. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi argued for the abolition based on equal rights for all citizens and the need to reduce the government's revenue deficit. The amendment effectively derecognized the existing titles: Aftermath The end of privy purse finally ended all the entitlements and special status of former rulers, thus turning them into ordinary citizens equal to other Indians, with no official recognition of their former ruling titles, special status, etc. Many of the former royalty tried to protest against the abolition of the privy purses, primarily through campaigns to contest seats in the Lok Sabha elections of 1971. This included Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the last and former Nawab of Pataudi, who contested from Gurgaon. Mansoor contested as a candidate for the Vishal Haryana Party, but received barely 5% of the vote in a two-way contest. Vijaya Raje Scindia and her son, Madhav Rao Scindia, however, won in the 1971 Lok Sabha polls. See also Political integration of India Custodian for Enemy Property for India, for the government takeover of property of rulers who migrated to Pakistan Enemy Property Act, 1968, basis of Custodian for Enemy Property for India Central Wakf Council, in India for Muslim properties Evacuee Trust Property Board, in Pakistan for Hindu and Sikh properties Notes References External links Indian Princely States, on www.uq.net.au (as archived on web.archive.org), listing where known the historical privy purse in rupees Political integration of India Indira Gandhi administration