After poll drubbing, Kejriwal admits party lacks structure

Three days after a massive drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday finally acknowledged openly that the party lacked internal structures and in coming times, there was a need to “concentrate on building up the organisation”.

In a barely 40-second video message to the volunteers of the party, Kejriwal said, “Our organisation is just a year-and-half old and we need to work on the internal structure of the party. We all need to work together to build up this organisation.”

“In the coming time, we’ll concentrate on building the organisation and correcting the internal structures and procedures. I am sure we can together achieve the dream of Swaraj in our country,” said Kejriwal, dressed in a simple white kurta-pyjama.

The video, reportedly shot at his Tilak Lane residence, was released on the party’s social media portals and on Kejriwal’s Facebook page. The party is now preparing a ‘blue print’ for the organisation building. Its seven Lok Sabha candidates are busy organising volunteer meetings in their constituencies.

AAP has already admitted that its decision to spread itself thin and the negative style of campaigning had hurt its prospects. In fact, in Delhi, the party’s pocket borough, the party could not win a single seat. The only saving grace was that its vote share increased from 29.3% in 2013 assembly elections to 32.9% in 2014.

Buoyed by the Delhi assembly polls results in 2013, AAP had immediately declared its intentions to go national and put up more than 400 candidates across India for the 2014 polls.

This step, especially with no organisational structure and lack of resources, had drawn huge flak from several quarters.

The party ended up getting less than 3% vote share across India but won four Lok Sabha seats, all in Punjab.

The video drew supporters and critics alike. Many expressed solidarity and said they were still with the party. But there were others who severely criticised Kejriwal. “You left the position, which not many will get. I don’t think you will be able to get it back as you have lost trust among people,” wrote Chandrashekhar Gurumurthappa on Kejriwal’s timeline.?