Congratulations continue for Indian Premier Modi

By Ahmad Adil

CHANDIGARH, India (AA) - India’s prime minister is continuing to get congratulatory telephone calls from world leaders over his landslide victory in the general elections that concluded last week.

Leaders who called Narendra Modi on Sunday included Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, and Nepal’s former Prime Minister Madhav Nepal, said officials.

“The Prime Minister thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan for his telephone call and greetings” said an Indian Foreign Ministry statement.

"Recalling his initiatives in line with his government’s neighbourhood first policy, Prime Minister Modi referred to his earlier suggestion to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to fight poverty jointly. He stressed that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism were essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in our region."

On Saturday, the ministry said Modi got telephone calls from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, and former Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Modi will take the oath as prime minister on May 30, his office said Sunday. President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and other members of the Union Council of Ministers in New Delhi.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 303 seats in the 542 contested constituencies in the general elections. The vote count started on Thursday morning.