PM Narendra Modi congratulates Gotabaya Rajapaksa for winning Sri Lanka presidential election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Sri Lanka's President-Elect Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on his victory in the 2019 presidential elections.

Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said, 'Congratulations @GotabayaR on your victory in the Presidential elections. I look forward to working closely with you for deepening the close and fraternal ties between our two countries and citizens, and for peace, prosperity as well as security in our region.'

PM Modi also congratulated the people of Sri Lanka for the successful conduct of the elections.

Former defence chief of Sri Lanka  Gotabaya Rajapaksa thanking Prime Minister Modi said he looks forward to strengthening the relationship and meeting him in the future.

"I thank @narendramodi and the people of India for your warm wishes. Our two nations are bound by history and common beliefs and I look forward to strengthening our friendship and meeting you in the near future," Rajapaksa tweeted.

Rajapaksa has won the presidential polls with his main opponent Sajith Premadasa of the ruling United National Party conceding defeat.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa won Sri Lanka's presidential election with 52.25 per cent of the vote, well ahead of his nearest rival Sajith Premadasa on 41.99 per cent, the election commission said Sunday.

Rajapaksa conducted a nationalist campaign with a promise of security and a vow to crush religious extremism in the Buddhist-majority country following April 21 suicide bomb attacks by homegrown jihadi extremists.