Arvind Kejriwal accepts mistakes post MCD failure: Need action, not excuses

'It's time to get back to work, says Arvind Kejriwal

Following the mass exodus and reports of in-fighting within the party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal struck a note on Saturday by admitting that the party made some crucial mistakes which led to their heavy defeat in the Delhi's civic polls.

Accepting his mistakes, Kejriwal asserted that it's time to get back to work. This admission comes after Kejriwal's defiance post the exit polls predicted a BJP sweep in the civic polls.

He had then said that he would launch a 'movement' if the exit poll results came out to be true.

Even on Wednesday afternoon, two of Kejriwal's close aides blamed EVMs for the party's defeat. One of them, labour minister Gopal Rai said that the BJP had won because of an "EVM wave", not because of a 'Modi wave'.

 

Here is what Arvind Kejriwal has to say:

In the last two days, I spoke to many volunteers and voters. The reality is obvious. Yes, we made mistakes but we will introspect and course correct. Time to go back to drawing board. To not evolve would be silly. We owe that to voters and volunteers. We owe that to ourselves. Need is action and not excuses.

It's time to get back to work. And even if we slip from time to time, the key is to find the reserves to hold and pull ourselves up. People deserve nothing less. The only thing constant is change.

Meanwhile, taking a dig at the AAP, following party member Kumar Vishwas's doubts over Kejriwal, the BJP said, it looks like a civil war going on within the party.

However, BJP leader Shazia Ilmi dubbed Kumar Vishwas as an 'opportunist,' for raising voice post the AAP's defeat in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls and not when similar had happened in the Punjab elections.

Yesterday, in yet another blow to Kejriwal, his aide Vishwas raised doubts about the former's ability to win elections and said the party should do soul-searching for the repeated defeats.

He suggested that the party should consider taking drastic steps, including leadership change, if it wants to remain viable in the political arena.

The AAP leader questioned Kejriwal's defense for losing Punjab elections, Rajouri by-poll, as well as the MCD elections.

He said that Kejriwal's stand on the surgical strikes was wrong.

He blamed the AAP's loss in the Punjab election on the party's wrong decision. He said the party needs 'radical reforms'.

In the recent past, other AAP leaders like Alka Lamba and Kapil Mishra have also been critical of the party's views on the poll debacles.

In the last 2 days .... pic.twitter.com/0quqxJtNAt

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 29, 2017