Feasibility Of Electorate’s Right To Recall In India: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Electoral reforms in India have been campaigned very hard. Certain reforms like right to recall and right to reject incompetent and non-serious candidates and representatives are deemed to be the need of the hour. Recall is a term used to describe a process whereby the electorate can petition to trigger a vote on the suitability of an existing elected representative to continue in office. In essence, it gives the voters an opportunity to remove representatives whom they feel are not doing a good job. Recall procedures vary around the globe. At present, there is no provision in the Indian Constitution or in the Representation of People's Act, 1951 for the recall of a duly elected member. In India, provision for recall exists at the level of local bodies in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Through this decision the power is given directly to the electorate if two-thirds of the registered voters of a particular constituency sign a petition, the government can take steps for removal of the corporator. Besides, many countries like the Philippines, Venezuela, some states of the USA, Switzerland, etc., have already made provisions in varying forms in their respective constitutions. Presently it has been observed that some of the elected representatives are either, incompetent, corrupt and unresponsive towards the electorate demands or remain silent spectators in their respective Houses throughout five years. Under this extenuating position, electorates are helpless and have to wait for up to five years to make a change. Thus, this is shear wastage of time and money, besides hampering the development in their respective constituencies. Recall provisions look at right to recall mechanism to make elected representatives more continuously, rather than periodically, responsible and responsive to the will and desires of the electorate. This is the landmark reforms in our electoral system and if introduced at the State and National levels, it would go a long way in strengthening one of the features of our democracy which is in peril today. Here, an attempt is made to highlight the feasibility of Right to recall in Indian democracy vis-a-vis point out various impediments in its implementation.