Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Raghav Chadha on Wednesday suggested introducing the right to recall to allow voters to remove non-performing elected representatives without having to wait for their five-year term to end.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, Chadha said just as the Indian voters have the right to elect, they should have the right to recall. “Right to recall is a mechanism that empowers voters to de-elect an elected representative, before their tenure ends, if they fail to discharge their duties…” he said.
He added that in case the elected representative fails to discharge their duty, there is no interim system to ensure accountability. Chadha emphasised that the provision “is not a weapon against politicians”, but “an insurance for democracy”.
“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,” he said.
He said it is commonplace in India that leaders woo the masses before the election, and after the election, “the public is after the leader”, implying that their concerns are not addressed.
{{/usCountry}}He said it is commonplace in India that leaders woo the masses before the election, and after the election, “the public is after the leader”, implying that their concerns are not addressed.
{{/usCountry}}Chadha said a five-year term is too long a period for electors to put up with a non- performing representative. He added that there are many examples of democracies across the globe where the voters have the right to recall.
“There are over 24 democracies, including the USA, Canada, and Switzerland, where the right is available to the voters,” he said. He said California Governor Gray Davis was voted out in 2003 after 1.3 million electors signed a petition for his removal.
Chadha pointed out that the provision exists in the gram panchayats in states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. To prevent the misuse of the provision, he suggested introducing a minimum performance period of 18 months before any recall attempt, identifying specific grounds for removal, and a high threshold, such as at least 50% voter approval in a recall vote.
Speaking outside Parliament, he said, “India is now a mature democracy, and this issue was debated in the constituent assembly as well…”
The Constituent Assembly discussed the provision but rejected it on the grounds of practical difficulties in implementing it. Both Bhimrao Ambedkar, who headed the Constitution’s drafting committee, and the then home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, opposed the provision.