Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate Rajapaksa on the outcome of the elections
The 74-year-old leader is back at the top in Sri Lankan politics along with his three siblings, winning the general elections held on Wednesday
The counting began in the morning after the polls were closed on Wednesday
The counting of votes in Sri Lanka election began with the powerful Rajapaksa family-run Sri Lanka People's Party saying it is confident of recording a historic victory
Voter turnout was 70%
Sri Lankans, wearing face masks, started voting in the twice-postponed parliamentary election which is expected to be won by the powerful Rajapaksa family-run party
It remains a question of what the final tally will be - a simple or brute majority in the 225-member legislature
As New Delhi looks for exit options and the politics around it, Sri Lanka and Nepal battle their own political contradictions. No telling what lies at the end of the struggle
The coming election could mark the end of the country's poly-ethnic project. How it will survive as a nation remains to be seen
In other words, Sri Lanka continues to deny it has a problem with its minority Tamils. India continues to insist it does and advises Colombo to do something about it
Rajapaksa's visit here assumed significance as his tenure as Sri Lanka's president from 2005 to 2016 saw expansion of China's footprints in the Indian Ocean island nation, triggering concerns in India
After his official engagement in Delhi, Rajapaksa will travel to Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya and Tirupati
The visit, beginning February 7, is the Rajapaksa senior's first overseas trip since his brother Gotabaya was elected President in November.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will undertake a four-day state visit to India and hold talks on a number of key areas
Economically sluggish India faces tough Chinese competition in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean
As parties in the state continue to fear for the future of the Tamils in the island nation, they have sought the Centre's help to protect them
The 16-member Cabinet included President's brothers- Mahinda Rajapaksa, 74, and Chamal Rajapaksa, 77, two Tamils and a woman
Appointing his China-friendly brother Mahinda the prime minister ahead of India visit marks a testing point for the new president's neighbourhood policy
According to reports, Murali will likley join Rajapaksa presidency as the governor of the Northern province, which has a huge majority of Sri Lankan Tamils
President Gotabhaya has accepted Prime minister Modi's invitation to visit India on November 29