Gujarat says 'no' to voters' right to recall

The Gujarat government on Friday said it has no plans to give right to recall elected representatives of local self-government bodies to voters as suggested by the State Election Commission (SEC) which has prepared a report on electoral reforms.

"We have prepared a report on electoral reforms in local self-government bodies, which has 48 suggestions out of which one is right to recall elected representatives of the local bodies," State Election Commissioner K C Kapoor said.

"The report is likely to be submitted to the state government for consideration. It is up to the government to implement various suggestions, including the right to recall elected representatives," Kapoor said.

The Gujarat government last week introduced a landmark bill which makes, for the first time in the country, voting mandatory in local bodies like municipal corporation, municipalities and district and village panchayats.

State Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel, under whose ministry election of local self-government bodies come, said the state does not have any plan to give right to recall elected representatives to voters.