Varun speech cost party dear: Shahnawaz

New Delhi: While Dr Manmohan Singh gets set for an encore, a despondent BJP is still searching for reasons for their loss. And everyone seems to have their own explanation on what went wrong.

Some of the party's Muslim MPs blame Varun Gandhi's hate speech for the loss of Muslim votes, others feel no clear cut agenda did them in. And allies aren't pulling any punches either.

For the model Chief Minister who narrowly fought off the Congress in MP, it's just confusion about the party's Hindutva agenda.

"Development is Hindutva, what is the problem with that? Hindutva says the universe is my home. This is not a new definition. Hindutva is for the good of the people," said Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister, MP.

And then, of course, there is the Varun factor that constantly troubled the party. He may have believed that he may have won Pilibhit, but cost the BJP many seats in UP.

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"A few statements during elections were objectionable and we had to bear the consequences," said BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain.

And it's not just the within the party, the NDA blame game, it seems, is in full swing. The NDA CMs meet got cancelled on Monday and now one of the BJP's staunchest allies is now attacking their agenda.

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"The BJP has that image and they should work on changing it, it's their problem," said Shiromani Akali Dal Leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

Perhaps it is time the BJP turned its election slogan to practice strong leader, decisive party.