'Melodi' vibe sets off to-and-fro of congratulations for PM Modi's expected third term

The 'Melodi' bond between Prime Minister Meloni of Italy and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi has taken over post-election results development in India as the Italian leader took to social media to congratulate PM Modi for his third re-election in a row.

"Congratulations to Narendra Modi on the new electoral victory and my warmest wishes for good work. Certain that we will continue to work together to strengthen the friendship that unites Italy and India and consolidate cooperation on the various issues that bind us, for the well-being of our Nations and our peoples," Giorgia Meloni wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term in a row on June 4. But his Bharatiya Janata Party fell short by 32 seats of the majority mark of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament directly elected by people. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 294 seats against the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s 231 seats. The Congress won 99 seats compared to 52 in 2019. The BJP won 240 seats.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to X to thank his Italian counterpart for the wishes.

"Thank you for your kind wishes PM Giorgia Meloni. We remain committed to deepening India-Italy strategic partnership which is underpinned by shared values and interests. Looking forward to working together for global good," Modi wrote on X while responding to Meloni's post.

The bilateral relationship betweenIndia and Italy stands elevated to the level of strategic partnership since March 2023, with Rome's naval experience in Adriatic Sea adding to India's strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific.

Once Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance proves majority, Italy would be prime minister's first visit abroad upon taking office for a third term. Italy is hosting G7 summit this time around and New Delhi remains a regular invitee to the Group of Seven summit.

(With inputs from agencies)