The winner of the Sri Lankan presidential election must first address the Tamil issue, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Jolly said Wednesday.

“Whoever wins in Sri Lanka should first address the Tamil issue,” he said, wishing “all the best” to both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

He said a peaceful, free and fair election was necessary for democracy in Sri Lanka.

“The devolution of powers, re-starting dialogue with Tamil National Alliance leaders and settlement of all pending Tamil issues is necessary for lasting peace in Sri Lanka,” Jolly said in a statement.