NEW DELHI: The high-octane campaign in Haryana ended on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging voters in the agrarian state to bring the BJP back to power for a third consecutive term. He claimed that the rival Congress represents a “guarantee of corruption, casteism, communalism, and nepotism.” On the other hand, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held two rallies in the state, reiterating that his party will not allow the “hatred” spread by the BJP based on religion, language, and caste to prevail. He appealed to the people of Haryana to oust the ruling BJP. As campaigning drew to a close, the BJP suffered a significant setback when former MP and Dalit leader Ashok Tanwar returned to Congress in the presence of Mr. Gandhi, just hours after campaigning for the saffron party.Taking to the social media site X, Modi said the voice echoing everywhere in Haryana is “bhadosa dil se, Bhajpa phir se” (BJP once more).Modi criticised the Congress for its alleged divisive and negative politics, which he said the patriotic people of the state will never accept. “The Congress means a syndicate of fixers and son-in-law,” he remarked, in reference to controversial land deals involving Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra when the party was in power from 2004 to 2014, with Bhupinder Singh Hooda as chief minister. He asserted that the main goal of the father-son political dynamic is self-interest, targeting Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda.The Prime Minister further stated that Congress leaders are involved in factional infighting, claiming that people know the party can never provide stable governance. “The people of Haryana are also feeling hurt as the entire state is being insulted at the behest of two families sitting in Delhi and Haryana,” he said.Modi accused Congress leaders of revealing their intentions by advocating for the end of reservations, despite Dalits and backward classes being dissatisfied with the party for its inability to prevent caste violence.Earlier in the day, Gandhi addressed two rallies in Nuh and Mahendragarh, asserting that the fight is between ‘mohabbat’ (love) and ‘nafrat’ (hatred). He stated that Congress spreads love while the BJP spreads “hatred.”“The most important thing is brotherhood. Wherever the BJP and RSS go, they spread hatred. In whichever state they operate, they discuss language, religion, and caste. Hatred must end. India is not a country of hatred; it is a country of ‘mohabbat’… It is a country of ‘mohabbat ki dukan,’ not ‘nafrat ka bazaar,'” Gandhi stated.The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that hatred would weaken the country and spread sorrow and fear. Holding a copy of the Constitution, he noted that it protects the rights of the poor, farmers, and laborers, but “the BJP and the RSS are hell-bent on attacking the Constitution.”He also criticised Modi over various issues, including unemployment, stating that while Modi claims to promote development, he cannot explain how he has taken Haryana to the “top position in terms of unemployment.”As Gandhi concluded his speech in Mahendragarh, former MP Ashok Tanwar joined him on stage. It was announced that “aaj unki ghar wapasi ho gayi hai” (today, he has returned to the Congress fold).Tanwar described his decision to return to Congress as the “will of God.”Sources indicated that Tanwar had been in touch with a senior Congress leader in Delhi, and his return to the party materialized just a day prior.Hours before rejoining Congress, the 48-year-old Sirsa MP had campaigned for the BJP candidate in the Safidon assembly constituency, urging voters to bring the party back to power for a third time.
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