World leaders greet Modi after landslide victory

Compliments poured in for Narendra Modi from around the world after leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

Prime ministers of Pakistan, Israel, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom called up Modi to greet him soon after counting trends made it clear that the BJP leader candidate was on his way to the occupy the Prime Minister’s Office. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also sent him a message to congratulate him on his victory.

United States, Canada, China and France also stated that they were looking forward work with the new Government of India.

“US congratulates BJP on its victory in India's historic election; we look forward to working w/ govt once formed to advance our partnership," the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House tweeted on Friday.

While words of compliments are also expected to come from Washington, US President Barack Obama may call Modi after he formally takes over as Prime Minister.

Notwithstanding his campaign rhetoric against Pakistan, Modi received an invitation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Islamabad just hours after counting trends revealed that the BJP was set to cross the half-way mark in  Lok Sabha.

An official release from Pakistan stated that Sharif had spoken to Modi on Friday afternoon, congratulated him for his impressive win and offered his good wishes. Sharif told his soon-to-be counterpart that he had closely followed the five-week long elections in India.

During his poll campaign, Modi accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of pursuing a soft policy towards Pakistan and not being able to strongly deal with terrorism emanating from the neighbouring country.

The BJP’s mascot for this year’s LS polls, however, also said in an interview to a newspaper that he would follow the foreign policies of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government headed by A B Vajpayee. His remarks encouraged Islamabad to express hope for quick resumption of bilateral engagement with New Delhi.Gujarat-China connection

Meanwhile, China has expressed willingness to maintain strategic relations with India. “China is willing to make joint efforts with new Indian government, maintain high level exchanges, deepen cooperation in all areas and bring China, India strategic partnership to new height,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China spokesperson, Hua Chunying said.

Modi has visited China several times as Chief Minister of Gujarat. A spokesperson of the British Prime Minister said that Modi told Cameron that he would be delighted to accept the invitation to visit the UK.

 The western countries started reviewing their stand on Modi in 2012 when it was clear that he was about to win a third term as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Britain ended its boycott of Modi and Gujarat, when British High Commissioner to India, James Bevan, met him in Gandhinagar in October 2012. 

After he led the BJP to a hat-trick in the Assembly polls in Gujarat in December 2012, European envoys to India had  lunch with him at the residence of German ambassador in New Delhi Michael Steiner in January 2013.