New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas on Friday said the party was open to take a call on change in the leadership because blaming the electronic voting machines (EMVs) entirely for its poll defeats was wrong when “there is mistrust among people for us”.
Speaking to IndiaToday TV, Vishwas, considered close to Delhi chief minister and party founder Arvind Kejriwal, said AAP needed to “introspect” over its defeat in the April 23 Delhi municipal polls.
He said the party should ponder the reasons for its defeat in the civic polls.
“I am pained because it is our sixth continuous defeat. It is certain that people did not vote for us in the civic polls. There is mistrust for us among people,” the TV news channel quoted him as saying.
“Blaming EVMs is not good. It can be a factor, which can be raised and discussed, but we failed to reach out to the voters. The party should introspect the reasons for the loss.”
Asked if there could be a change in the leadership, Vishwas said: “We will discuss this in the party soon.”
On the appointment of Gopal Rai as the Delhi unit convener, the AAP leader hinted that he was not happy with the decision taken in a meeting where he was not invited.
He said the Politial Affairs Committee of the party was told about it but the decision must have been taken in Kejriwal’s meeting with legislators earlier in the day.
“Gopal bhai is capable but there were other candidates too,” Vishwas said.
He said the party needed to decide what it was fighting against — corruption, or parties, or individuals, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We didn’t sit at the Jantar Mantar to fight against the Congress, Modi, the BJP or EVMs,” Vishwas said.
