New Delhi

India on Thursday welcomed the successful completion of elections in Nepal, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah on their electoral victories, signalling a new phase in ties between the two neighbouring countries.

During the weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had positively received the democratic process in Nepal and reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with the country’s new leadership.

In a diplomatic outreach, Modi held telephonic conversations with Lamichhane, chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and senior party leader Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen Shah, congratulating them on their electoral success.

“After the successful conclusion of elections in Nepal, we welcome the completion of the polls. The Prime Minister held telephonic conversations with Rabi Lamichhane, chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and with Balen Shah, a senior leader of the party. He congratulated both leaders on their electoral victory and the party’s resounding success,” Jaiswal said.

The MEA spokesperson also reiterated that India’s foreign policy toward its neighbours continues to be guided by the “Neighbourhood First” approach.

“Prime Minister Modi conveyed that as a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and the new government to scale new heights of shared progress and prosperity,” Jaiswal added.

Earlier, Modi also congratulated Lamichhane and Shah publicly on social media following the election results.

Responding to the message on X, Balendra Shah thanked the Indian prime minister and expressed confidence that bilateral relations between the two countries would deepen further.

“Thank you for the good wishes, Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. I am confident we will work together to further strengthen, deepen and make more outcome-oriented the historic and multidimensional relations between Nepal and India,” Shah said in his post.

He also extended congratulations to India for winning the Cricket World Cup title for a second consecutive time.

According to the latest results, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken a strong lead in Nepal’s parliamentary vote count, securing 125 seats under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system.

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The relatively new political party, with which Balendra Shah is affiliated, is also leading in the Proportional Representation (PR) category, marking a significant rise in its political influence in Nepal’s national politics.