The Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on Tuesday clarifying the role of Governors concerning bills passed by state assemblies and their powers under Article 200 of the Constitution. Justice Pardiwala noted that there is no “absolute veto” or “pocket veto” power for Governors.

He stated that generally, Governors are not permitted to reserve a bill for the President once it has been re-presented by the government after a second passage by the Assembly—unless the second version of the bill differs from the original.

The judgment reinforces the authority of elected governments, ensuring that Governors must act on the advice of the council of ministers and within the constitutional framework.

Key takeaways include the requirement for Governors to decide on bills within a reasonable time and to uphold the will of the people.

The ruling also emphasizes that Governors have no discretion to reserve bills for the President after the second presentation. Notably, the court found the Tamil Nadu Governor’s reservation of 10 bills for presidential consideration to be erroneous under Article 200.