PM Modi congratulates Japan’s PM Takaichi as coalition projects historic win, says ties vital for peace, prosperity

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended warm congratulations to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following her ruling coalition’s projected historic victory in snap elections for Japan’s lower house, the House of Representatives, emphasising that India-Japan ties remain vital for advancing global peace, stability, and shared prosperity through their robust Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Takaichi on her projected landmark electoral win and reaffirmed the importance of the partnership that established eight all-nation lines of effort for the next decade.

“Congratulations, Sanae Takaichi, on your landmark victory in the elections to the House of Representatives! Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership plays a vital role in enhancing global peace, stability and prosperity. I am confident that under your able leadership, we will continue to take the India-Japan friendship to greater heights,” PM Modi stated in his post.

Congratulations Sanae Takaichi on your landmark victory in the elections to the House of Representatives!

Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership plays a vital role in enhancing…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2026

The congratulatory message came as projections indicated that Prime Minister Takaichi’s ruling coalition is set to secure a historic win in Japan’s lower house elections, with a two-thirds majority.

According to Kyodo News, the ruling party under PM Takaichi, who became the country’s first female Prime Minister in October last year, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is poised for a commanding victory in the country’s snap election held on Sunday, according to exit polls.

Kyodo News, citing its projections, stated that the ruling LDP, together with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), is poised to secure a supermajority of up to two-thirds of the 465 seats in the lower house of the National Diet, significantly surpassing the 233 seats required for a simple majority.

Amid persistent inflation and a challenging international environment, Takaichi has vowed to pursue a “responsible yet aggressive” fiscal policy while strengthening the country’s defence capabilities ahead of the general election.

According to Kyodo News, the LDP is set to win over 300 of 465 seats in the lower house, surpassing the threshold required to chair all standing committees and outnumbering the opposition on key panels, which would help push through its legislative agenda.

The main opposition, the newly formed Centrist Reform Alliance, which brings together lower house members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and Komeito, is expected to lose a significant number of seats, according to polls.

Meanwhile, the populist Sanseito party, known for its “Japanese First” slogan, is expected to make substantial gains, while Team Mirai, which advocates using digital technologies to boost political participation, is set to secure its first seat in the chamber, Kyodo News reported.

Nearly 1,300 candidates are contesting 465 seats: 289 are elected from single-seat constituencies, and 176 are elected through proportional representation across 11 regional blocks.

India and Japan laid out eight directions to steer their Special Strategic and Global Partnership over the next decade on August 29, 2025, during PM Modi’s visit to Japan for the India-Japan Annual Summit 2025.

According to the joint vision, the two sides reaffirm their shared commitment to a free, open, peaceful, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Both sides also set a new target of JPY 10 trillion in Japanese private investment in India, with a focus on economic security, resilient supply chains and cooperation in semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy and emerging technologies.

The launch of the Next Generation Mobility Partnership, covering high-speed rail, smart cities, logistics, and sustainable infrastructure, and a strong emphasis on climate action, clean energy, the circular economy, and net-zero pathways, was also adopted.

The expansion of technology and innovation cooperation in AI, quantum, space, nuclear energy, and startups, and the enhancement of health cooperation, including UHC, medical research, medicines, and traditional systems like Ayurveda, were also pursued under the vision. (ANI)