SACRAMENTO (Diya TV) — State Senator Aisha Wahab is on the brink of a recall election as the California Secretary of State approved the recall petition. Organizers now have until May 23 to gather 42,802 valid signatures, aiming for 80,000, to trigger a recall in her Bay Area district.
Wahab, a Democrat from Fremont, faced challenges in her first year in the Legislature, marked by controversial moves such as introducing a bill on caste discrimination, which ultimately failed. The recall campaign, initiated in May, cites poor performance as a reason for the recall. Congressional Candidate Ritesh Tandon, one of the organizers of the recall, expressed opposition to Wahab’s controversial bill on caste discrimination.
The recall has been a point of contention, with Wahab condemning it as an “abuse of democracy.” She characterized it as a disservice to those who voted for her and accused radical extremists of exploiting the democratic system. Wahab claimed receiving threats after introducing the caste discrimination bill, which stirred major division within the Indian American and South Asian community.
While Wahab was forced to change the language of the bill during the legislative process, she insisted on keeping the word ‘caste’ in it. The bill was eventually vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 7. If the recall proceeds, it would be the first recall of a state official since the attempt to remove Newsom in 2021.
In a separate election development, Assemblymember Vince Fong faces a setback as the Secretary of State ruled that he cannot run for Congress due to already qualifying for his legislative seat. Fong, unhappy with the decision, plans to sue, calling it “unprecedented interference” and asserting the right of voters in the 20th Congressional District to choose their representative. State GOP Chairperson Jessica Millan Patterson accused Democrats of attempting to influence the election, emphasizing the need for a fair choice for voters in the Republican stronghold.
