Rajya Sabha witnessed a fiery intervention from AAP’s Raghav Chadha, who urged the introduction of ‘Right to Recall’ to empower citizens against elected officials failing their mandate. Speaking in zero hour, he decried the lack of robust accountability for parliamentarians and state legislators.
The pre-election pandering versus post-election indifference irks Chadha. ‘Election before, leaders beg at our feet; election after, we beg at theirs,’ he quipped. Five years is an eternity in modern times—if voters pick poorly, communities suffer irreparable harm.
Chadha bolstered his case with international examples from Canada, Switzerland, and beyond. The dramatic recall of California’s Gray Davis in 2003 stood out: amid power shortages and budget woes, mass petitions led to his 55% defeat in a snap poll.
He challenged the asymmetry: impeachment for high offices, no-confidence for cabinets—why not for MPs? Even panchayat reps in several Indian states face gram sabha recalls.
Safeguards were key in his vision: no recalls before 18 months, specific performance failures as basis, and majority voter turnout. Parties would scout superior talent, deadwood would exit, and democracy would thrive.
Chadha’s plea resonates amid rising voter disillusionment, potentially reshaping electoral dynamics.