Governor's power to withhold assent for bills should be reviewed: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said the powers of a Governor to withhold assent for bills passed by a state legislature should be reviewed. Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a function to mark Dr B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary, Baghel took veiled swipes at the previous governor for withholding her assent to reservation bills passed by the Chhattisgarh Assembly in December 2022.

"The role of the Raj Bhawan should be reviewed. How long it can keep a bill pending for assent?" he said. Reservation is a state subject, and if a governor withholds such bills for four to five months, youngsters seeking seeking college admissions or appearing for recruitment exams are affected, he said.

"If such a bill is kept pending, then definitely there should be a review of how long a bill can be held up," he said. A governor should either return a bill or sign it, Baghel said. "So does he have the right to jeopardize the future of our youth?" the chief minister asked.


The Congress government in Chhattisgarh was at loggerheads with governor Biswabhushan Harichandan's predecessor Anusuiya Uikey (who was appointed as Mizoram governor in March) over pending assent to reservation bills.

The bills increased overall quota in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions in Chhattisgarh to 76 per cent. The governor is yet to sign them.

Reacting to the CM's statement, BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh said before reviewing the rights of a governor, what actually these rights and duties are should be understood thoroughly.