Article 176 mandates Governor’s special address at year’s first session, post-election

Certain States report issues regarding the Governor’s address to the State legislature at the commencement of the year’s first session. The trigger relates to constitutional provisions governing when and how the Governor addresses or sends messages to the House(s), including mandatory and discretionary scenarios.

Governor’s Address to State Legislature (Articles 175 & 176; Nabam Rebia case)

Dimension	Key Details
Article 175	The Governor’s right to address or send messages to the House(s) at any time
Article 176	Mandates a special address by the Governor at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the first session of each year
Mandatory vs non-mandatory nature	Article 176 is mandatory, unlike Article 175
Aid and advice requirement	Address under Article 175 or Article 176 is to be performed by the Governor on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers
Judicial reference	Nabam Rebia vs Deputy Speaker (2016) is in relation to the Governor performing the address on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers