Governor Delays in Bill Assent: A Legislative Bottleneck or Political Strategy?

In 2024, significant delays in governors' assent to state bills were noted, with 18% of bills taking over three months for approval, according to a PRS Legislative Research report. The delays have sparked debates, supported by a Supreme Court ruling mandating the President's decision on reserved bills within three months.

In a revealing analysis by PRS Legislative Research, 2024 witnessed considerable delays in governors providing assent to state bills, with roughly 18% stagnating for over three months. This report emerges amid a contentious debate postulating the Supreme Court's recent ruling stipulating the President decides on governor-reserved bills within three months.

The report, released last Thursday, highlighted that in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi, bills received gubernatorial assent within a month. However, in Congress-led Himachal Pradesh and Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal, a significant proportion of bills languished beyond three months, underscoring the legislative gridlock.

Notably, Tamil Nadu has sought the Supreme Court's intervention on bills pending since 2020-2023. This logjam accentuates the growing politico-legal tensions culminating from governors' hesitancy, further propelling the Supreme Court's attention towards the Kerala governor's outstanding bill assessments.