Weeks after successful conduct of the Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections in Nepal, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to top leaders of three major parties on the phone on Thursday.

He called his Nepali counterpart and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. 

Modi congratulated Oli on the left alliance’s huge success in the polls. According to a statement issued by the UML, PM Modi told Oli that the left alliance’s success will strengthen democracy in Nepal, while expressing his hope that the victory would lead to political stability and economic development.

Extending an invitation to Oli, who is tipped to be the next prime minister, to visit India soon after government formation in Nepal, Modi said India was looking forward to working with new government in Nepal, the statement read. Oli reportedly said that his focus would be on political stability, institutionalising democracy, good governance and economic prosperity. He also took the opportunity to invite Modi to visit Nepal.

The Indian PM also congratulated Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for successfully holding three tiers of elections. “PM Modi expressed his belief that these elections would greatly help in strengthening democracy while lauding the role of PM Deuba,” said Govinda Pariyar, PM’s senior press adviser.

Modi also called Maoist Centre Chair Dahal and congratulated him on the alliance’s success in the polls, according to Dahal’s press coordinator Manahari Timilsina.

The Indian leadership had maintained its silence on the left bloc’s victory even though it secured a clear majority. Last week, India officially welcomed conduction of the Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections held for the first time.

“India welcomes the conduct of parliamentary elections and first ever provincial elections in Nepal. We congratulate the government and the people of Nepal,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said during a weekly MEA press briefing in New Delhi on December 14.