Raghav Chadha pushes for 'Right to Recall' for non-performing MPs

AAP MP Raghav Chadha proposed a 'Right to Recall' in Rajya Sabha, allowing voters to remove non-performing MPs and MLAs. He argued this would increase accountability, suggesting safeguards like a voter threshold and cooling-off period to prevent misuse.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday pushed for a "right to recall" mechanism that would allow voters to remove the non-performing elected representatives before the end of their terms.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Raghav Chadha said that "Right to Recall" will empower voters to take action against MPs and MLAs, rather than "tolerating" them for five years.

Rationale for Right to Recall

Chadha suggested that this mechanism will increase accountability and performance evaluation for 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," Raghav Chadha said in Rajya Sabha.

"If MPs and MLAs don't perform, then the public has no option but to wait for five years. There's no provision, 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 argued that if we can impeach the President, Judges, and remove elected government, then why are people "forced" to tolerate representatives for five years. "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.

"More than 24 democracies in the world, such as the United States, Switzerland etc., provide recall or voter-initiated removal mechanisms in some form," he added.

Proposed Safeguards to Prevent Misuse

Chadha also suggested some safeguards to ensure that it is not "misused", such as a threshold, a cooling period, clear grounds for removal and final voting. However, there should be safeguards to prevent misuse. There should be a threshold that at least 35 to 40 percent voters should back a recall trigger through a verified petition before any recall vote is held. There should be a cooling period of a minimum 18 month lock in after the election, so the representative has time to deliver and cannot be targeted immediately after winning. The recall should only be called for proven misconduct, fraud, corruption or serious neglect of duty, not everyday political disagreements," he said.

"Recall succeeds only if more than 50 percent voters support removal in the recall vote," he added. (ANI)

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