Chandigarh, Oct 24 (IANS): Sensing a hung assembly in Haryana, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who retained his stronghold seat, on Thursday appealed to all opposition parties to join hands to keep the ruling BJP at bay.

"We invite all the smaller parties and independents to join hands with the Congress and form a stable government," he said.

"I have got calls that independents are being stopped from joining us. This should not happen and we will approach the EC (Election Commission) against it. This is a vote against the Khattar government, against unemployment in the state. Most ministers have lost the election," he added.

Taking a jibe at his arch rival Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, he said, "Khattar's slogan of 75 plus (seats) stuck at 35."

Leader of the Opposition and shadow Chief Minister Hooda retained his bastion Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district by defeating BJP's Satish Nandal, who recently joined the BJP after defecting from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).