“Yes, We Made Mistakes, Will Introspect”: Kejriwal After Delhi Loss

April 29, 2017 10:31
“Yes, We Made Mistakes, Will Introspect”: Kejriwal After Delhi Loss

The Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, today admitted that the party had made mistakes in the past and added that there was need to introspect and course correct after the defeat in MCD polls.

Kejriwal, who held a meeting of AAP cabinet ministers, councilors and MLAs after the MCD loss, said “yes, we made mistakes”. He further took his statement to the micro blogging site, twitter:

Based on his interactions with volunteers and voters in the last two days, it was clear that it was “time to go back to the drawing board”, adding that there was “need for action and not excuses”. Earlier, two days ago, after the results of the Delhi civic polls were announced, Kejriwal and a few party members close to him blamed the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the party’s disastrous electoral performances. In fact, they had started blaming EVMs for “a possible loss” even before last Sunday's Delhi civic polls.

In last week’s election to the municipal corporation in Delhi which it rules, the AAP came a poor second, managing only 48 of the 272 seats. The BJP swept the polls; results were counted on Wednesday. As the party went into a huddle, top leaders came to the conclusion that it is, at this point, tough to compete against the “growing stature” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose personal appeal to voters is seen as the main reason for his party's huge score. The BJP, which held all three corporations of Delhi for the last 10 years, won them again - and with more seats.

An AAP member, Kumar Vishwas, whom Kejriwal has described as “being family”, said “We can’t blame EVMs. They aren’t the main issue. The main issue is mistrust.” The AAP “needs to introspect” as “the connect with voters was missing,” added Vishwas. The party’s MP from Punjab Bhagwant Mann also said that it is wrong to blame the machines for AAP’s defeat. “Instead of finding faults with EVMs, it is time to start finding faults in the party,” said Mann.

While some were open with their criticism, other high profile members took the blame for the electoral losses and quit from party posts. AAP’s Punjab unit in-charge Sanjay Singh and organisation-building head Durgesh Pathak resigned from their respective posts. Their offers to resign come on top of the resignation on Wednesday of AAP’s Delhi unit chief Dilip Pandey from his post, and of legislator Alka Lamba, who took responsibility for the AAP’s defeat.

AAP Chief Blames Modi's Growing Stature For MCD Poll Defeat

SUPRAJA

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Tagged Under :
Arvind Kejriwal  AAP  MCD polls  Twitter  EVM  Kumar Vishwas