Hyderabad, May 18 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said frequent elections have become an obstacle in building 'Viksit Bharat' and stressed the need for conducting simultaneous polls in the national interest.

Chouhan, who virtually delivered a talk organised here on the need for 'One Nation, One Election', said the Constitution should be amended so that Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are held simultaneously once in five years.

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"Frequent elections have become an obstacle in building 'Viksit Bharat'. Somewhere it has to be stopped and reined in. We have to think of national interest. As responsible citizens think and resolve that the now time has come for simultaneous elections. The country will benefit a lot", he said.

In his speech, Chouhan also lauded the bravery of armed forces after India's Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack.

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"I would like to pay my respects to their (Indian armed forces) perfect aim. I would like to pay my respects to the precise strategy of our leadership. India is a peaceful country. But our prime minister had said that we will not provoke anyone. But if anyone provokes us, then we will not spare them," he said.

The union minister said Pakistan was "brought to its knees" within three days and the neighbouring country appealed for a ceasefire.

"One thing is clear, even today, we will not spare terrorists," he said.

Chouhan further said any talks with Pakistan will only be on terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). There will be no third-party intervention, he added.

Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy also addressed the event.

In a post on ‘X', he said that he spoke about how simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies can significantly reduce the financial burden on the nation, improve governance, ensure better utilisation of resources, and minimise repeated disruptions to developmental works, public life, and administration.

"I urge all youth and intellectuals to spread awareness and support this transformative reform of @narendramodi govt. and help make #OneNationOneElection a reality," Reddy said.

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