DNA Micro Edit: Arvind Kejriwal needs to set AAPna house in order

Finally, Arvind Kejriwal, the top man in the Aam Admi Party, has conceded that the MCD poll debacle was the party's own doing and that a course correction is needed. It seems the Delhi chief minister has realised, albeit a little late in the day, that his party needs to reconnect with the people of Delhi.

Kejriwal's tactic of blaming the humiliating civic poll defeat on tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) boomeranged. Already, there had been a storm brewing within the party about the decision to pin the defeat on only EVMs, with even senior party leaders questioning that logic. May be that was the trigger for the Chief Minister to finally concede that AAP needs to "introspect".

For starters, Kejrwal should fix accountability for the loss, set an example for his party workers, and shun his now-trademark arrogance. Accepting defeat is part of the electoral process.

Kejriwal needs to realise that harping on EVM tampering will send the wrong message to the 48 AAP councillors who actually won. After all, they too have got the mandate of people and questioning EVMs is tantamount to disrespecting their wins.

There is no shame in losing an election and starting from scratch. After all, the people of Delhi gave AAP a mandate that was unprecedented — it won 67 of the 70 seats in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections.

More than the people of Delhi, Kejriwal needs to put his house in order first if he wants to keep alive his dream of changing the country's political culture.