Advani admitted that the image of the party had taken a beating. It is due to 'infighting, frustration and lack of self-confidence' among the party workers.

Swaraj said quoting Advani: 'Our graph from 1989 to 1999 was at its best and we formed the government at the centre. Between 1999 and 2009, we lost two parliamentary elections consecutively. So introspection is a must.'

'In 1984, even when we had two MPs, the people had faith in us,' said Advani. And added: 'Today we have 116 seats in the Lok Sabha, so there is no need for frustration.'

'This 'chintan baithak' is the first step towards improvement and to resolve issues through dialogue and interaction,' Swaraj quoted Advani as saying.