New Delhi [India], September 23 : Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi congratulated Sri Lanka President-designate Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday following his win in the presidential elections.
"Congratulations and best wishes to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on being elected as the Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka," Rahul Gandhi said.
"May our countries continue to work together towards mutual growth and progress," he added.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the 55-year-old leader of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna party, was declared the winner of the election on Sunday.
Congress President Malikarjun Kharge stressed strengthening ties between India and Sri Lanka as he extended wishes to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his win in the elections.
"On the behalf of the Indian National Congress, I extend my heartiest congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on being elected the Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. India and Sri Lanka have a rich legacy of multifaceted cooperation and interaction, which dates back centuries. The people of India look forward to strengthening our ties and shared values for the benefit of our region," Kharge said in a post on X.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Dissanayake on his poll win and said that the island country holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), which focusses on concerted cooperative measures for sustainable use of oceans and provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region.
With this win, Dissanayake will be the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka, beating Sajith Premadasa after the country's first-ever Presidential election run-off, reported the Daily Mirror.
The election commission made the announcement after a second vote count, the first in the country's history. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe came third and was eliminated after the first round, reported Al Jazeera.
Saturday's election marked the third time that Ranil Wickremesinghe, unsuccessfully, ran for president. His previous two bids for the top job were in 1999 and 2005.
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