Panaji, June 3: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi admitted Sunday that recent electoral reverses have affected the BJP and that it will look for new allies if needed ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Asked whether the Bharatiya Janata Party would need the support of allies, especially regional outfits, for the general elections, Naqvi said the BJP was committed to alliance partners right from the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“We are completely committed to the federal system. Therefore we would like our allies to stay with us. If we need more allies, we will look for new allies. We have not put up a ‘no entry’ sign,” Naqvi said.
He said that the allies who had left the ruling National Democratic Alliance in recent times could also return to the fold. On the defeat of BJP candidates in recently by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states, Naqvi said: “If I say that the by-election defeat has not impacted us, it would be wrong.” But the losses would help the BJP to deal with the “unholy and anarchist” alliances more strongly and effectively, he added.
“When you are on the battlefield and you understand the tactics and strategy of your opponents, it is easier to contest. We have the experience (of bypolls) now and it will make it easier for us (to strategise and win).”
The Union Minister, who was in Goa for the ‘Transforming India’ campaign, also expressed concern about the farmers’ agitations across the country, saying there were issues related to the agriculture sector which needed to be addressed. “We have to address and solve the issues. Therefore, we cannot say that in four years we will solve all the past problems. Yes, still some challenges are there. But we will correct the challenges and solve the problems,” Naqvi said.