India-Maldives relations

He can be expected to adopt a more independent, balanced and diversified foreign policy rather than a pro-China one.

Local political maneuvering and pressing domestic issues – not geopolitics – drove most Maldivians’ voting decisions.

While Muizzu's victory could see a tilt toward China in the archipelago’s foreign policy, India and its Quad partners will cheer President Solih’s re-election.

New Delhi and Washington can supercharge their partnership by coordinating efforts in third countries, especially island nations like Maldives.

A recent visit by India’s defense minister was just the latest in a surge of outreach toward Maldives as its election nears.

The Maldives has remained one of India’s key maritime partners in the Indian Ocean neighborhood.

As Maldives looks to parliamentary and presidential elections in September 2023, the China-India choice maps neatly on to domestic political divides.

Both China and India have a stake in the drama surrounding the Maldives' upcoming presidential election.

President Solih is up against opposition parties as well as rivals within the ruling MDP.

With a proposed law to criminalize the “India Out” campaign being put in cold storage, anti-India protests will continue.

Beijing and New Delhi's jostling for influence in Maldives cannot be separated from the island nation's domestic political wrangling.

In the ongoing contest between China and India for influence, New Delhi has made some gains in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.