Jacinda Ardern won a second term in office in a landslide victory in the election, where the Labour Party headed by her got 49 per cent of the vote

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern on her resounding victory.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, “My heartiest congratulations to the PM of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern on her resounding victory. Recall our last meet a year ago and look forward to working together for taking India-NZ relationship to a higher level.”


Jacinda Ardern won a second term in office in a landslide victory in the election, where the Labour Party headed by her got 49 per cent of the vote, crushing the conservative National Party, which got 27 per cent.

Ardern said the margin of the victory exceeded her party’s expectations. The Labour Party will now get an outright majority in Parliament, the first time any party has achieved that since New Zealand implemented a proportional voting system 24 years ago.

Earlier parties formed alliances to govern, but this time the Labour Party can go it alone.

A day after winning the second term, Ardern said on Sunday that she sees the election result as an endorsement of her government’s efforts to stamp out the coronavirus and reboot the economy.

India and New Zealand historically share close and cordial ties. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1952.

Commonalities such as membership of the Commonwealth, upholding of common law practices and pursuing shared aspirations of achieving economic development and prosperity through democratic governance systems for diverse communities in both countries (New Zealand also has a sizable Maori and Polynesian population) provide an excellent backdrop for deepening ongoing ties.

Tourism and sporting links, particularly in cricket, hockey and mountaineering, have also played a significant role in fostering goodwill between the two countries.

Both countries are fellow travellers in their commitment to disarmament, global peace, North-South Dialogue, human rights, ecological preservation and combating international terrorism. New Zealand has recently commissioned an India Strategy, aiming to make India a core trading, economic and political partner for New Zealand in the coming years.