In an attempt to lift the spirits of demoralised AAP workers ahead of the assembly elections early next year, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls was a result of people’s perception that the main fight was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. In a note addressed to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, Kejriwal said the thumping mandate given to Modi's brand of politics “rubbed off on Delhi” as well.

“Our volunteers ran a superb campaign, putting all their energies into it. Across the country, people acknowledged that our candidates were among the best. The results, however, did not meet our expectations. Post-election ground analysis has revealed two major reasons. First, the atmosphere that prevailed in the country rubbed off on Delhi as well. Second, people saw this "big election" as between Modi and Rahul and voted accordingly,” he said.

“Whatever be the reason, we were not able to explain to the public as to why they should vote for us in this big election,” he added.

However, the Delhi chief minister said people have been enthusiastically assuring him of voting for AAP in the assembly elections. “People have been assuring us that in the ‘small election’ for Delhi Vidhan Sabha, they will vote in the name of the incredible work we have done in Delhi. Our ground impact on education, health, water, electricity, pensions, doorstep delivery of 7- government services and basic amenities in underdeveloped colonies has made it possible for us to proudly engage in conversations with the public,” he said.

During the general elections, the ruling AAP in Delhi and the BJP were involved in a bitter war of words with both sides attacking each other in a no holds barred contest. The BJP won all the seven seats in Delhi routing both the Congress and the AAP in the Lok Sabha polls.

On Sunday too, Kejriwal had asked party workers to humbly accept people's verdict and concentrate on the assembly polls. Kejriwal, addressing party workers in west Delhi's Punjabi Bagh, said, "We have to bear humiliation at times and I am proud of my workers for humbly accepting that insult," he said.