New Delhi [India], February 11 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday pushed for a “Right to Recall” mechanism that would allow voters to remove non-performing elected representatives before the end of their terms.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha said that the Right to Recall would empower voters to take action against MPs and MLAs instead of being forced to “tolerate” them for five years. He argued that such a mechanism would significantly increase accountability and performance evaluation among elected leaders.
“Just as Indian voters have the right to elect, they should also have the right to recall. If voters can hire a leader, they should also have the right to fire them. Right to Recall is a mechanism that empowers voters to de-elect an elected representative before their term ends if they fail to discharge their duties,” Chadha said.
He pointed out that under the current system, citizens have no remedy against non-performing legislators until the next election. “If MPs and MLAs don’t perform, then the public has no option but to wait for five years. There’s no provision for accountability or performance review. Before the election, the leader is after the public, and after the election, the public is after the leader,” he said.
Chadha further questioned why voters are compelled to endure ineffective representatives when other constitutional offices are subject to removal. “If we can impeach the President, the Vice President and judges, and move a no-confidence motion against an elected government mid-term, then why should voters be forced to tolerate a non-performing MP or MLA for five full years? Five years is too long. There is no profession where you underperform for five years with zero consequences,” he said.
Highlighting global precedents, Chadha noted that more than 24 democracies—including the United States and Switzerland—provide recall or voter-initiated removal mechanisms in some form.
To prevent misuse, Chadha proposed several safeguards. These include a threshold requirement where at least 35–40 per cent of voters must support a recall trigger through a verified petition before any recall vote is held. He also suggested a minimum 18-month cooling-off period after an election, allowing representatives adequate time to perform without being targeted immediately.
“The recall should only be called for proven misconduct, fraud, corruption or serious neglect of duty—not everyday political disagreements,” he said, adding that a recall would succeed only if more than 50 per cent of voters support removal in the final recall vote. (ANI)
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