‘Resounding victory’: PM Modi congratulates Anthony Albanese on re-election as Australia PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (May 3) congratulated Anthony Albanese on securing a historic second term as Australia’s Prime Minister, calling his victory a sign of “enduring faith” in his leadership.

PM Modi posted the message on X (formerly Twitter), shortly after Albanese declared victory following a high-stakes national election.

“Congratulations @AlboMP on your resounding victory and re-election as Prime Minister of Australia! This emphatic mandate indicates the enduring faith of the Australian people in your leadership,” PM Modi wrote.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the growing partnership between the two Indo-Pacific democracies, saying he looked forward to working closely with the Albanese government to boost regional cooperation.

“I look forward to working together to further deepen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance our shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” PM Modi said.

Albanese visited India in March 2023, where he and PM Modi agreed to expand cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.

Australia is home to a large Indian diaspora, and both leaders have regularly highlighted people-to-people links as a cornerstone of bilateral relations.

During a 2023 visit to Australia, Albanese courted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even calling him the "boss" at a large rally attended by Indian-Australians.

Earlier that year, PM Modi had hosted Albanese in India, where the two leaders shared a symbolic lap of honour in a cricket-themed golf cart before a Test match, highlighting their nations' mutual passion for the sport.

Albanese secures historic second term

Albanese’s re-election—marking the first time in 21 years that an Australian Prime Minister has won back-to-back three-year terms—was seen as a mandate for continuity in Australia’s foreign policy, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

Anthony Albanese's win defies the typical pattern of Australian governments losing seats in their second term.

“Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way, looking after each other while building for the future,” Albanese told supporters during a celebratory speech in Sydney.

A rejection of Trump-inspired Conservatism

In a pointed contrast to his opponents, Albanese distanced his government from the ideological style of US President Donald Trump.

“We do not need to beg or borrow or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek our inspiration overseas. We find it right here in our values and in our people,” he said.

Labor had branded opposition leader Peter Dutton “DOGE-y Dutton,” accusing his conservative Liberal Party of mimicking Trump and his now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency.

Dutton concedes, loses long-held seat

Dutton conceded defeat on election night, confirming that his alliance of conservative parties had lost — including his own parliamentary seat, which he had held for 24 years. His political downfall drew comparisons with Canada’s Pierre Poilievre, another opposition leader who lost his seat after aligning with Trump-era economic positions.