Amid reports of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih winning the crucial Maldives presidential polls, India on Monday said that it looked forward to working closely with the new leadership.

In an early morning statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that, ‘we welcome the successful completion of the third Presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won.’

‘We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest,’ the statement read. 

‘This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law. In keeping with our 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership,’ it added.Around 263,000 Maldivian voters exercised their rights in the high-stakes elections, keenly watched by countries such as India, the United States and China.

The island nation has been engulfed in a political upheaval in the past few months with Yameen imposing a state of emergency to annul a Maldivian Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives' first democratically-elected president.

The US also congratulated the people of Maldives on the peaceful conclusion of presidential polls. 

"The United States congratulates the people of Maldives, who peacefully raised their democratic voices to determine the future of their country," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. 

"Although the Election Commission has not yet announced the final tally, we note Maldives' media and NGO reports that the Joint Opposition candidate has secured a victory following a peaceful day of polling," she added.

"We urge calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process concludes," Nauert said.