Damansara MP Tony Pua was defeated in the Selangor DAP polls because he lost touch with the grassroots, party veteran Lim Kit Siang said.

"It is undeniable that he has contributed much to the party and country, but the challenge for politicians is that they must stay in touch with the grassroots.

"One of the reasons (for his defeat) is that he focused too much on national issues and lost touch with the grassroots," Lim said in a talk at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia last night.