AAP's Raghav Chadha pitches 'Right to Recall' to boost voter accountability

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday called for introducing a 'Right to Recall' mechanism, arguing that voters should have the power to remove elected representatives before the completion of their five-year term if they fail to perform.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, he said, while Indian citizens have the constitutional right to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), there is currently no direct mechanism for voters to de-elect them mid-term on grounds of non-performance or misconduct.

The 'Right to Recall' framework would allow constituents to initiate a formal process to remove an elected representative through a structured and legally defined procedure, he said, adding that India already provides for impeachment of the President, Vice President and judges, and allows no-confidence motions against governments.

 

Extending a similar accountability principle to individual legislators, he said, would strengthen democratic oversight.

"Five years is a long tenure" for the evaluation of performance of elected representatives, he said, adding there is no profession where you underperform for five years with zero consequences.

Globally, more than 20 democracies - including the United States and Switzerland - provide for some form of recall or voter-initiated removal mechanism at various levels of government, he said.

Chadha, however, said there needs to be safeguards to prevent political misuse or instability. Suggested guardrails include a minimum threshold - a verified petition backed by at least 35-40 per cent of registered voters in a constituency should trigger a recall vote.

Also, there should be a cooling-off Period - a mandatory lock-in period of at least 18 months after the election before a recall process can be initiated.

The grounds for recall should be limited to proven misconduct, corruption, fraud or serious neglect of duty, rather than routine political disagreements, he said, adding the removal should happen only if more than 50 per cent of voters support the recall in a formal vote.

Such a mechanism would incentivise political parties to nominate stronger candidates, enhance accountability and reduce corruption, he added.

Other issues raised during zero hour included the stray dog and monkey menace by Javed Alik Khan of the Samajwadi Party. He cited regular reports of dog and monkey attacks on human beings to seek action to prevent such occurrences.

Sanjay Kumar Jha of JDU wanted Darbhanga airport to be made an international airport, while Ashok Singh of Congress raised the issue of the impact of the trade deal with the US on soybean farmers in Madhya Pradesh.

While BJP's Babubhai Jesangbhai Desai raised the issue of growing misuse of digital media, his party colleague Laxmikant Bajyapee wanted an AIIMS to be set up in Meerut to meet the medical needs of residents of western Uttar Pradesh.