Panaji, June 3 : Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi admitted on 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 strategize 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.

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Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Southeast Division CEN police have arrested four individuals in connection with an online investment scam that exploited students' bank accounts for fraudulent activities.

The accused, identified as Abhay Daan Charan (19), Aravind Kumar (19), Pawan Bishnoi (18), and Sawai Singh (21), hail from Rajasthan. They allegedly lured the public by offering part-time jobs involving online ratings with promises of high returns. Initially, they provided small profits to gain trust, but later convinced victims to invest in online platforms, only to siphon off their money.

One victim, who lost ₹12.43 lakh to the scam, filed a complaint with the Southeast Division CEN police. Investigations revealed that the accused had opened multiple bank accounts under the names of students to carry out their fraudulent activities.

Based on the leads, two of the accused were apprehended from Udaipur, Rajasthan, while the remaining two were arrested from a paying guest accommodation in Bommanahalli, Bengaluru.

The police seized 19 mobile phones, 2 laptops, 20 SIM cards, 34 bank passbooks, 106 credit and debit cards, 39 cheque books, and ₹75,000 in cash from the accused. These items were used in executing the fraud.

Further investigation is underway.

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