Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Raghav Chadha on Wednesday called for introducing a ‘Right to Recall’ mechanism. Chadha, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, argued 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, the Rajya Sabha MP 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, legally defined procedure, he said, adding that India already provides for the 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: Chadha
“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.
What is Right to Recall?
Right to Recall (RTR) laws in India enable voters to remove elected local representatives (Sarpanch, Corporators, Mayors) before their term expires due to non-performance. While limited to specific local bodies in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar, there is no nationwide law for MPs or MLAs, though proposals exist.
The debate over the ‘Recall’ of elected representatives has a long history in the Indian democracy; the matter was even discussed in the Constituent Assembly. The debate centred on the belief that the Right to Recall must accompany the Right to Elect, and that voters must be provided with a remedy ‘if things go wrong’. However, Dr BR Ambedkar did not accept this amendment.
‘Safeguards are needed’
Chadha, however, said safeguards are needed 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.
Five years is a long tenure for the evaluation of performance of elected representatives.
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% 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.
