AAP’s Raghav Chadha calls for Right to Recall

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.