Gurgaon/Jind, October 11
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hinted at a hung Assembly in Haryana and urged voters to ensure BJP’s majority so that “the fruits of power at the Centre could benefit the state”.

Modi’s remarks came at a rally in Gurgaon where he referred to pre-poll surveys and other indicators that suggested the party would fall short of a majority in the state.

Not taking the surveys lightly, the Prime Minister went all out to muster support for his party in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) stronghold of Jind, where he praised khap panchayats — caste councils notorious for their dictates.

The Prime Minister said Jind was the land of khaps and that he had great respect for these councils. “I bow before these khaps of Haryana,” he said, inviting loud cheers from party workers.

Capping his poll campaign in the state with a rally in Gurgaon, Modi said he was confident that the BJP would form the government on its own. But he said in case of a fractured mandate, the “effort that should go into development of Haryana would be frittered away in gaining support to form the government”.

In his 22-minute speech, the Prime Minister repeatedly referred to “bahumat” (majority) while touching upon other issues such as “goonda” and “mafia raj” during the INLD and Congress regimes.

“There is still time to restore the development that stopped because of ‘plundering’ by these two governments where territories were assigned for ‘loot’ to members of the respective dynasties,” he said.

“Do not elect a government that stands on crutches. Vote in a way that the government does not have to take the help from others. If that does not happen then those from whom we have to take support will take away all that the Union Government has to give to Haryana and you will be deprived of development again,” said Modi.

Referring to his Japan visit and Chinese Premier’s tour of India, Modi said it was not his “jadoo” (magic) that had catapulted India into a powerful nation. “It is the decision of 125 crore Indians to bring a majority government in India after 30 years that has forced the world to take India seriously.” “Agar Haryana ki bhi jai jai kaar bulani hai to bahumat ki sarkaar lao” (If you want Haryana to become a formidable force, vote in a majority government here too), he said. “Only a majority BJP government will be able to rid the state of the rule of goons and mafia,” he said pointing at the INLD and Congress rules.

Modi took a dig at pre-election surveys and political commentators saying the BJP was headed towards forming a government in Haryana on its own.

“But some pre-poll surveys and political pundits are saying no one will get a majority. Whatever anyone says, I can tell you that the BJP will form the government here. But please do not give us a government that has to rely on crutches.”

In Jind, Modi targeted the Congress and the INLD for a sharp rise in crime against women and skewed gender ratio in the state.

“Our mothers and sisters are not safe in Haryana and our heads hung in shame when cases of rapes of Dalit girls hit the headlines. Terming skewed gender ratio in the state a matter of shame, Modi said: “For 1,000 boys there are only 875 girls in Haryana. This has created an army of bachelors. We will have to change all of this if we want Haryana to develop.”