The defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls appears to have forced the BJP leadership to shed its perceived arrogance and make efforts to shore up the party's image ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, insiders said.

From holding talks with the protesting wrestlers to reaching out to smaller parties — the BJP seems to have abandoned its "unbending attitude".

The BJP leadership had been of the firm belief that the wrestlers' protest was politically driven and inviting them for talks would mean succumbing. But after the drubbing in Karnataka, coupled with farm leaders supporting the wrestlers' protest, the BJP leadership weighed the political costs of the agitation and decided to make efforts to resolve the crisis, the party insiders said.

"None other than home minister Amit Shah making an intervention and holding talks with the wrestlers showed that the change in attitude was top-driven," a BJP leader said.

Shah was also seen taking the lead on another front early this month when he held separate meetings with Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu and Maharashtra chief minister and ally Eknath Shinde. The meetings were seen as part of attempts to gain new allies and firm up relations with the existing partners.

Naidu, who split with the BJP ahead of the 2019 elections, had been desperately trying to realign with the party but had been repeatedly snubbed by the ruling leadership.

Shah meeting Naidu for the first time since the 2019 parting of ways showed that the BJP was willing to explore a tie-up with the Andhra Pradesh-based TDP in the aftermath of the Karnataka humiliation.

The Union home minister also held talks with Shinde, with whom ties have been frayed since he split the Shiv Sena. There had been reports of the BJP being unhappy with Shinde and looking to dump him.

"There are no differences with the BJP and we will contest the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together," Shinde said after meeting Shah.

After the massive victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had exhibited a condescending attitude towards allies. One by one, the undivided Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, JDU and the TDP walked out of the NDA.

"Post-Karnataka, the leadership seems to be reaching out to smaller parties to get them on board as allies. This is a big change," a BJP leader said.

The party insiders said the leadership was also holding talks with the Karnataka-based Janata Dal Secular for the Lok Sabha polls.

The Karnataka debacle has dealt a blow to the BJP's southern dreams and so the focus on ally hunting in the region. In the north too, the party is reaching out to the Punjab-based Akali Dal, BJP leaders said.

Unlike most states in the north, the BJP has a marginal presence in minority Sikh-dominated Punjab. The Akali Dal had parted ways with the BJP over the farm laws and the BJP had been hopeful that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity would get them enough support in the state.

"There are no signs of our fortunes turning in the state and it makes political sense to revive our alliance with the Akali Dal," a BJP leader said.