Sangeeta Jain, senior correspondent, India Today and a former member of Indian Parliament, told India Today’s Pratap Ghosh that the BJP has lost touch with people and needs a “new message”. “The new one has to be inclusive, based on values and not on caste,” he said. “A strong voice from the BJP should have been given by the current PM for his party to get back on track,” he added.

The recent controversy surrounding the VHP leader and the BJP leader also showed that there remains a deep divide within the party, he said.

“The BJP should have focused on its core values and policies. The new prime minister needs to give clarity to the party’s people. If the party continues to be at odds the party would be forced to abandon its core political philosophy,” Ghosh said.

The party is currently in the thick of its first phase of campaigning for the polls. On October 7, the BJP will take on Congress-NCP in five states that will result in a total of 70 seats in the Lok Sabha.

With inputs from PTI

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