Calgary-North West Recall: Sawhney Faces Signature Deadline

CALGARY — The clock is ticking on Rajan Sawhney. Residents in Calgary-North West have until February 22, 2026 to decide whether their UCP MLA gets shown the door—or keeps her seat.

The recall petition targeting Sawhney, who also serves as Minister of Indigenous Relations, needs 9,929 valid signatures from voters across Tuscany, Royal Oak, Rocky Ridge, Rockland Park, Scenic Acres, and Lynx Ridge. That's 40% of eligible voters in her riding, and the deadline is three weeks away.

Why the Recall Push?

Petitioner Melissa Craig, a local resident who dropped $500 just to file the application, isn't mincing words. She says Sawhney has gone radio silent on constituents, choosing "party loyalty over the needs and interests of her constituents" instead of fighting for the people who put her there.

Craig launched her effort in November 2025, right after Premier Danielle Smith's government leaned hard into the notwithstanding clause and rammed through the Back to School Act—legislation that crushed a teachers' strike mid-swing. That legislative session lit a fire under angry voters across Alberta. Sawhney's recall? It's one of over 25 launched against UCP MLAs during the same window.

The Math Problem

Here's the catch: recall petitions in Alberta are brutal by design. You get 60 days to collect signatures from 40% of your riding. Elections Alberta gave the green light on November 24, 2025, starting the countdown. Since then, Craig and her volunteers have been funding the whole operation out of pocket—knocking doors, setting up signing events, and running a website at recallsawhney.ca.

But history isn't on their side. A similar recall effort against Calgary-Bow MLA Demetrios Nicolaides officially tanked on January 21, 2026, failing to hit its signature target. The bar is high, and the odds are long.

What Happens Next

If Craig's team pulls it off and delivers the signatures by February 22, Sawhney faces a recall vote. If they don't, she skates through to the next election. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has been vocal about the UCP's agenda stoking this kind of anger, but words won't collect signatures.

Sawhney, re-elected on May 29, 2023, and promoted to her cabinet post on May 16, 2025, hasn't publicly commented on the petition. The final count comes due in three weeks.