Sri Lankan leaders unite in congratulating Modi as BJP heads to major poll win

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and main Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he led his Bharatiya Janata Party towards a resounding victory for a second term in office.

The BJP was set to return to power Thursday as the partial vote count released by the Election Commission showed that it was leading in 296 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in seven phases, demolishing the combined opposition with the Congress Party stuck at 51 seats.

"Congratulations on your victory and the people's re-endorsement of you leadership," Sirisena said in a tweet.

"I have immense pleasure in extending to you my warmest congratulations and sincere best wishes on the victory of the BJP," Wickremesinghe's message of congratulations said.

"Heartfelt best wishes and congratulations," Rajapaksa said in his message.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera interrupted his speech in Parliament to offer congratulations to Prime Minister Modi.

Several other lawmakers in Parliament offered best wishes to the Indian leader.

Last year, Sri Lanka faced a major constitutional and political crisis which lasted over 50 days after Sirisena took a controversial decision of sacking Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister to replace him with Rajapaksa in late October.

He was then forced to restore Wickremesinghe in office as Rajapaksa was not able to prove his majority in Parliament.