South Asian leaders, from India to the Maldives, felicitated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their creditable victory in the US presidential election and wished for closer ties with their countries.

Hours after major news channels projected Biden and Kamala Harris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Biden on his “spectacular victory.” Modi wrote the early hour on Sunday, “As the VP (vice president), your contribution to strengthening Indo-US relations was critical and invaluable. I look forward to working closely together once again to take India-US relations to greater heights.”

Calling the success of Kamala Harris as “pathbreaking,” Prime Minister Modi said, “your success is a matter of immense pride, not just for your “chittis” but also for all Indian Americans” 

Harris had earlier used “chittis”, a Tamil word for aunts, while accepting the Democratic Party  nomination for vice-president and recalling her Tamil and Indian American heritage.!
 Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan too wished Biden.   “Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Look forward to President-Elect Biden’s Global Summit on Democracy & working with him to end illegal tax heaven & stealth of (the) nation’s wealth by corrupt leaders. We will also continue to work with (the) US for peace in Afghanistan & in the region.”  Khan wrote on Twitter.

The Maldives’ President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih became the first South Asian leader to congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Soon after major news outlets projected Biden as the winner, Ibrahim Solih took to Twitter, congratulating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris late on Saturday evening.

“I look forward to working with your administration on the issue of mutual concern from global efforts to recover from COVID-19 to responding to the climate emergency,” Solih wrote on Twitter.
 
Nepal’s PM KP Sharma Oli early on Sunday wished Biden and Kamala Harris on their “impressive and historic election victory,” and said to work closely with new leadership to “strengthening friendly ties” between the two nations.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksha congratulated Biden and Kamala Harris on their “historic victory” and hoped to work towards a  “robust, mutually rewarding partnership.” 

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also extended her wishes to the newly elected president and vice president and said her country was looking forward to more robust engagement "in effectively confronting the evils of terrorism, violent extremism, hatred, forced displacements as of the Rohingyas, and for the realization of a safer and a better world." 
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani- whose government is negotiating a tough US-brokered peace deal with the Taliban - congratulated both the leaders. “Afghanistan looks forward to continuing/deepening our multilayered strategic partnership with the United States- our foundational partner-including in counter-terrorism and bring peace to Afghanistan,” Ghani tweeted.