"There must be One Nation, One Election": Rajnath Singh at poll rally in Rajasthan

Kolayat (Rajasthan) [India], April 7 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed on Sunday that there must be 'one nation and one election' to save time and resources for the nation, adding he said that the Congress party will only oppose it.
"There must be One Nation, One Election. Centre had formed a committee under the leadership of former President Ram Nath Kovind. The committee has submitted its reports to the President. I believe the people of the nation will support us," the senior BJP leader said.
Lashing out at Congress, he said, "However, the Congress party will only oppose it. It is their habit to oppose everything. This (one nation, one election) will save your time and resources."
The statement was made by Rajnath Singh at a Vijay Sankalp Sabha in Rajasthan's Kolayat, a town in Bikaner district, on Sunday. He was accompanied by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and other party leaders.
He also slammed the previous Congress government in Rajasthan, alleging that there was no law and order in the state, which improved after the BJP government came to power.
"There was a Congress government here for the last five years. You know how they ruled. There was no law and order. People were killed by slitting their throats inside their houses. Such was the situation," he alleged.
"But after our government came to power, Bhajan Lal Sharma became the Chief Minister... I would like to congratulate him on the steps that his government has taken to improve the law and order situation in the state," Rajnath Singh said.
He said that the prestige of Bharat has enhanced globally since the BJP government came to power at the Centre.
"Previously, we were not taken seriously at any international forums. But today, whenever Bharat speaks, the world listens with its ears open, saying what the Bharat is talking about," he said.
"The world used to say India was a country of poor and unemployed people. When the BJP government was formed in 2014, we were in the top 11 economies in the world. Now, we are in the top 5 economies in the world. The financial firms that conduct surveys and reviews of the world economy claim that India will be in the top 3 economies of the world by 2027," he said.
Rajasthan will go to the polls in two phases, on April 19 and April 26. Polling for 12 Lok Sabha seats will be held in the first phase on April 19, while the remaining 13 seats will be polled in the second phase on April 26.
The counting of votes for all 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country is scheduled for June 4.