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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Shivpuri (PTI): The 60-year-old mother of a rape accused was killed allegedly by the victim's brother in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, a police official said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday, Rannod police station house officer (SHO) Arvind Chauhan said.

"An anganwadi worker returning from a hospital was offered a lift by one Inder Gurjar, who took her to a secluded spot and raped her. She called up her brothers to narrate the ordeal. One brother of the victim along with two associates went to Gurjar's house and assaulted him. When Gurjar's mother Sirkunwarbai (60) intervened, she was attacked with a sharp weapon. She died on the spot," he said.

Based on a complaint filed by the deceased woman's daughter-in-law, three persons were booked for murder. One of them was held on Saturday, the official added.

A separate case has also been registered against Gurjar for rape, he said.

Police personnel have been deployed in the area in view of tension following the incident, the official added.