PM Modi congratulates 'dear friend' Shinzo Abe on election win

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 October congratulated his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, as his ruling coalition won a resounding victory in Sunday's snap election, securing a two-thirds majority in the Lower House.

The Prime Minister took to Twitter to express the same, and said the victory would help in further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

"Heartiest greetings to my dear friend @AbeShinzo on his big election win. Look forward to further strengthen India-Japan relations with him," he tweeted.

In the snap elections, the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito bloc won 312 seats in the 465-member Lower House, thus providing momentum to Abe's drive to amend the supreme code for the first time since it took force 70 years ago.

In an interview with local media post the election, Abe stated that his ruling coalition alone won't call for a referendum on constitutional revision, but instead seek cooperation from other parties. He also said he would reflect upon his victory in terms of whether it represents a public mandate, reports The Japan Times.

There are 465 seats that being contested in the election. A revised electoral law that took effect in July has reduced the number of Lower House seats from 475 to 465.

Earlier last month, Abe had dissolved the Lower House of the parliament and called for polls afresh to renew his mandate in the face of the rising threat from North Korea.

-ANI