We made mistakes, will introspect: Arvind Kejriwal

After a humiliating defeat in the recently concluded MCD elections and subsequent criticism for blaming the defeat on alleged EVM fault, Arvind Kejriwal today acknowledged that the party has made mistakes.

Kejriwal has also promised for introspection and a course correction.

“In the last 2 days, I spoke to many volunteers and voters. The reality is obvious. Yes, we made mistakes but we will introspect and course correct,” Kejriwal said in a letter posted on his Twitter account.


“Time to go back to drawing board. To not evolve would be silly. We owe that to voters n (and) volunteers. We owe that to ourselves. Need is action and not excuses. It’s time to get back to work,” the letter added.


Arvind Kejriwal, who is the party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, further wrote: “And even if we slip from time to time, the key is to find reserves to hold and pull ourselves up. The people deserve nothing less. The only thing constant is change.”

Kejriwal’s admission comes after media reports of a rift in the party about its approach after the MCD election defeat.

Soon after the defeat in MCD polls, where AAP’s vote share nosedived to 26 per cent from 53 per cent in 2015 assembly polls, the party blamed alleged EVM defaults for its defeat.

AAP was formed in late 2012, after the India Against Corruption movement led by Kejriwal and veteran activist Anna Hazare.

The party stormed to power in Delhi with an overwhelming majority of 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly in 2015, gaining prominence in the national stage.

Since then, it has focused on expanding its base beyond the national capital, but its foray in Punjab and Goa failed, and the party has also lost its grip over the national capital in the recent past.

In Punjab, the party did emerge as the primary opposition but the performance did not live up to the hype.

In Delhi, the party first lost the Rajouri Garden assembly bypoll and within days, received a drubbing in the civic elections, where the BJP retained control of all the three corporations.

Inputs from PTI