It may be facing an uphill battle for votes in Delhi in the wake of recent desertions from its ranks and a ‘Modi wave’ that has brought the BJP to power in Haryana and Maharashtra. But the Aam Aadmi party remains optimistic of recapturing the imagination of people of Delhi, especially the middle class, and riding back to power in the state.

The desertions and its falling popularity notwithstanding, AAP leaders feel that the party is still a big draw with the people of Delhi, what with the several public welfare measures taken by AAP and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the 49-day rule of the party.

In fact, addressing a rally in Delhi last week, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed that his party could win 40-45 seats in the upcoming Delhi assembly election.

While many believe Mr Kejriwal’s claim may be wide off the mark with several pre-poll surveys forecasting a win for the BJP, others believe that the AAP still remains a favourite of the middle class, which feels that the party deserves another chance.

In its bid to regain power in Delhi, AAP has already begun its campaign in right earnest.

Although elections in Delhi have yet not been announced, AAP had last week come up with its first list of candidates. The list consisted of 22 candidates, out of which, 12 are sitting MLAs.

Further, the party has embarked on a door to door campaign to hard sell the achievements and the promises it made and fulfilled during its 49-day rule.

Further, in recent weeks, AAP has held rallies and interactive session with several sections of the Delhi public.

The series of ‘Delhi dialogues’ being planned by the Aam Aadmi Party with various sections of society, are being seen as an attempt by the party to recapture the imagination of the middle class in Delhi.

It is also being seen as a conscious attempt by the AAP to move away from confrontational politics to a more long term vision for reforms and growth.

During these interactive sessions, Mr Kejriwal and other leaders have been claiming that AAP is the only party that can rid Delhi of corruption. AAP has also been promising that it would make Delhi a world class city.

In a recent ‘Delhi Dialogue’ with youth organised at Jantar Mantar, the AAP leader had announced several measures for the welfare of the youths in Delhi.

These include an overhaul of higher education in the Capital with 20 new colleges to be built on the outskirts of Delhi and the doubling of seats in 70 existing colleges, easy access to student loans, creation of eight lakh jobs and training to 10 lakh youths for vocational jobs within the next five years, make entire Delhi a free Wi-Fi zone and access to government created sports infrastructure for talented youth.

Further, in a bid to counter the ‘Modi wave’, AAP plans to convince people that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on whose popularity the BJP is banking on, would not be a solution to its city-level problems.

''Our aim will be to convince people that Modi is not going to solve your city-level problem,'' AAP leader Sanjay Singh said.

Also, to counter the ‘Modi effect’, AAP plans to make electioneering in Delhi a localised campaign wherein it will pitch Mr Kejriwal against Delhi BJP leaders--Jagdish Mukhi, Vijender Gupta and Vijay Goel.

''The BJP may not declare its chief ministerial candidate, but we will project it as a campaign between the probable candidates like Jagdish Mukhi, Vijender Gupta, others and Kejriwal,''Mr Singh said.

As part of its door-to-door campaigning, AAP has decided to focus on booth level campaign wherein it will assign 25 houses to every booth level worker.

The booth level workers will focus on 25 houses. They will explain the achievements of Mr Kejriwal's 49-day government. The booth level workers will also explain the fulfilled promises made by the AAP leader which includes slashing the tariff of electricity and water and then comparing it with five-month rule of the Centre in the national capital.

More than 1.10 lakh volunteers of the party will spread the messages of 'what AAP promised’ vis-a-vis ‘what they did' and emphasise that the BJP promised something, but did something else.

AAP is hopeful that its strategy to conduct door-to-door campaign will pay dividends for the Assembly polls, expected to be held in February next year.

A similar campaign in the Assembly polls last year had resulted in the AAP winning 28 seats in a spectacular debut.

The last two years have witnessed a reversal in fortunes of the party.

Starting as an underdog in the 2013 state assembly polls, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, riding on the people’s anger against corruption and the popularity of the ‘India Against Corruption’ movement led by social activist Anna Hazare, emerged as a dark horse with 28 seats which eventually helped it ride to power.

Subsequently, however, the party fell out of favour with the common man after Mr Kejriwal suddenly quit his post after 49 days in power. 

The Lok Sabha election results, which saw the AAP lose from all seven Parliamentary constituencies in Delhi and win just four seats in the Lok Sabha, reflected the losing charm of the party in Delhi.

The party emerged as second in all the seven Lok Sabha constituencies. Its failure to win even a single seat in Delhi was seen as a sign of falling fortunes of the party.

Adding to the woes of the party, AAP lost many top leaders from its rank in the last few months including Shazia Ilmi, G R Gopinath, S P Udaykumar and former Delhi Assembly Speaker M S Dhir.

While Shazia Ilmi and Captain Gopinath quit the party in May, M S Dhir quit the party yesterday.

Many of those who left the party said they were doing so since most decisions were being taken by a select few and that other leaders of AAP were not being taken into confidence. 

Others like Captain Gopinath said Mr Kejriwal had lost his focus.

However, political observers say the Aam Aadmi Party, wisened by its earlier mistakes, is now trying to recover its lost base, particularly among the urban electorate, through interactions like Delhi Dialogue.

The Delhi Dialogue is aimed at the electorate in 25 urban middle class constituencies of Delhi. The population here comprises among others salaried employees and students. Observers say the party has been active in slum clusters too which is evident from the seats that it won in the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls.