The President's secretariat has invoked Article 355 advisory powers to recommend that Governors in Tamil Nadu and Kerala fulfil their constitutional duties with respect to bills and administrative appointments that have been pending assent for periods ranging from eight to twenty-three months.

The intervention comes after the Supreme Court, in response to petitions filed by both state governments, described the prolonged withholding of assent as potentially unconstitutional and asked the President to examine whether grounds for suo motu guidance existed.

Tamil Nadu's Legislative Assembly has 12 bills pending gubernatorial assent, including a state-specific university regulations bill and an amendment to the state civil services code. Kerala has 7 bills pending, including legislation creating a new cooperative banking framework.

Constitutional scholars note that the conflict reflects a broader asymmetry in the Indian federal structure: state governments are elected on specific mandates but must secure the agreement of a centrally appointed Governor whose political alignment often differs from the ruling state coalition.