Wary of China, India on Friday moved fast to engage with the new government of Bhutan, where an urologist-turned-politician led a new party to victory in the just-concluded parliamentary elections
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) party chief Lotay Tshering, who is now set to lead the new government in Thimphu.
Modi congratulated Tshering and invited the 50-year-old urologist-turned-politician to visit New Delhi.
Prime Minister conveyed to the DNT chief that India attached “the highest priority to further strengthening unique ties of friendship and cooperation” with Bhutan, based on “shared interests and values, utmost trust, goodwill and mutual understanding”.
Tshering's DNT won 30 of the 47 seats in National Assembly of Bhutan. The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) won the 17 seats and would continue to be the opposition party.
The primaries had last month cleared the DNT and DPT to contest the third parliamentary elections of Bhutan. The People's Democratic Party (PDP), which was in power in the country since 2013, had lost the primaries and had not participated in the main elections that had taken place earlier this week.
Modi is likely to visit Thimphu after Tshering takes over as the new prime minister of Bhutan.
He on Friday also reiterated India’s steadfast commitment to work with the new Prime Minister in Bhutan in its national efforts for socio-economic transformation, based on the priorities and interests of the people and the government of the neighbouring country.