President Maithripala Sirisena extended his warm congratulation to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his victory in the recently concluded Indian General Elections, the President’s Media Division said.

Issuing a congratulatory message, President Sirisena stated that: “The decision of the people of India to entrust your Party and its alliance partners the responsibility of guiding India’s destiny for a further term with this renewed mandate is a clear endorsement of the policies adopted under your stewardship”.

“Having been associated with you, I would like to express the hope that in your second term at India’s helm that bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and India will continue to grow, and strengthen, particularly on the economic front,” the President further said.

He also emphasized that India has a key role to play in spearheading regional growth that brings prosperity to the region.

Modi’s party, the BJP, set for a landslide victory in the national elections. Leads show that the BJP will get a clear majority on its own by winning 294 seats, which is better than the 282 seats it had won in the 2014 general elections.

“Together we grow. Together we prosper. Together we will build a strong and inclusive India. India wins yet again! #VijayiBharat,” PM Modi tweeted this evening.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance or NDA is ahead in 345 seats, leads show, while the Congress-led UPA is leading in 91 seats. In 2014, the NDA had won 336. It was the first time in more than three decades that a single party won majority on its own.

-With inputs from agencies