SC to hear plea by Kerala on Governors’ conduct in March

The State of Kerala on February 6, 2025, pushed for an early hearing in the Supreme Court its writ petition arguing that Governors in Opposition-ruled States have triggered an “endemic” of delaying assent or indefinitely sitting on crucial Bills passed by the Legislative Assemblies.

The State of Kerala on Thursday (February 6, 2025) pushed for an early hearing in the Supreme Court its writ petition arguing that Governors in Opposition-ruled States have triggered an “endemic” of delaying assent or indefinitely sitting on crucial Bills passed by the Legislative Assemblies.

In an oral mentioning before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, advocate C.K. Sasi, for Kerala, said the court is currently hearing a similar petition filed by the State of Tamil Nadu challenging the conduct of Governor R.N. Ravi, who sat on 10 re-enacted Bills, mostly dealing with higher education, before referring them for consideration to the President.

Chief Justice Khanna said the petition by Kerala would be listed in March.

The Kerala’s case had come up last in November 2023 before a Bench of then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

Justice Pardiwala is currently hearing the Tamil Nadu case in a Bench comprising Justice R. Mahadevan.

In a hearing on November 20, 2023, senior advocate K.K. Venugopal, appearing for Kerala, had said eight key Bills were severally pending for eight to 23 months. The State had argued that the Governor was a part of the State Legislature under Article 168 and could not act in a way contrary to the wishes of the elected representatives of the people.

Article 168 spells out that “for every State, there shall be a Legislature which shall consist of the Governor and two Houses to be known respectively as the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly”.