Priti Patel MP, the Prime Minister’s UK Indian Diaspora Champion and a British MP of Gujarati origin, welcomes the outcomes of the Indian general election.
“I congratulate India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP Party on the clear results of the Indian elections and for earning the largest democratic mandate the world has ever known.
India has delivered the largest democratic election in human history in a peaceful and professional manner – this sets an example for the world. Over 550 million people casted their ballots, which is more people than the entire population of the European Union. At a time when voter turnout is low in some western countries, it is very encouraging to see that nearly two-thirds of all eligible participants exercised their right to vote.
The ways in which Narendra Modi mobilised support and broke through voter apathy will be a lesson for politicians and political campaigners around the world. The number of first time voters, new technology that helped communicate political messages, and a fresh vision for governance all played a significant role to shape the outcome of this historic general election.
Britain’s Gujarati community are rightly proud of Narendra Modi, his achievements and his dedication to his home state of Gujarat. The UK has already achieved a great deal with India, and we look forward to working with the new government to deepen our partnership and to welcoming the new Prime Minister and his administration to Britain.”