While holding that the President's Reference made on the issues relating to Bills' assent was maintainable, the Supreme Court observed that the judgment of a two-judge bench in the Tamil Nadu Governor case - which laid down timelines for the President and the Governor to act on Bills - had created doubts and confusions.

The 5-judge bench also observed that some of the conclusions in the Tamil Nadu case were contrary to precedents.

States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Punjab had objected to the maintainability of the Reference, arguing that the questions raised were already answered by the judgment in the State of Tamil Nadu v. Governor of Tamil Nadu case. They also argued that the Reference was an "appeal in disguise" and that Article 143 of the Constitu

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