An apparatus for driving a display panel having drive lines and capacitive light emitting elements. The apparatus sequentially selects one scanning line from the scanning lines every scanning period of input video data including a gradation level to specify a drive line corresponding to at least one capacitive light emitting element driven to emit light on the one scanning line in accordance with the input video data, generates a driving signal having a pulse width in accordance with the gradation level every scanning period, and applies the one capacitive light emitting element with a voltage equal to or higher than a light emission threshold voltage in a forward direction for a duration in which the driving signal is generated, through the one scanning line and the specified drive line, and applies the specified drive line with a predetermined potential in response to elimination of the driving signal to decrease the voltage applied to the one capacitive light emitting element in the forward direction to a voltage lower than the light emission threshold voltage.