Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his historic victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) elections.

“Congratulations @narendramodi on your clear victory in India’s election. We look forward to strengthening our relations especially in trade and industry,” Mahathir tweeted today.

Last Thursday, Modi led his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a landmark victory for a second five-year term in office, winning 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

The main opposition party, Congress, secured only 52 seats, which is not enough for it to claim the post of the leader of opposition in the new House.

Yesterday, Modi was appointed as the prime minister of the 17th Lok Sabha.

The voting lasted almost six weeks to accommodate nearly 900 million people who were eligible to cast their votes in the world's biggest and longest election.

- Bernama