Trump's party senator congratulates Modi on becoming longest-serving PM: ‘India-US ties never stronger'

US Senator john lackland Cornyn congratulated ground government minister Narendra Modi on wed o'er becoming the longest-serving PM of India.Cornyn, who belongs to US President Donald Trump-led Republican party, said that Washington-Delhi ties were strongest under PM Modi, and that the prime minister earned his leadership through the trust of 1.4 billion people across three democratic mandates.“From lifting 250 million out of poverty to making India the world's fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi's tenure has been nothing short of transformational. The US-India partnership has never been stronger,” Cornyn wrote in an X post.Big milestone for PM ModiOn Wednesday, PM Modi completes a big milestone - 4,399 days in office, and becoming the longest continuously serving elected premier with 12 years and counting. Before him, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and first female PM Indira Gandhi served long tenures in office. While Indira Gandhi's tenure was close to 16 years, it was not consecutive.On this big achievement, members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are set to felicitate PM Modi for his leadership at a meeting that he will chair today.The past 12 years saw the ruling BJP making big strides in India. When the party won and formed a government after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, its state tally stood at only seven, but has now risen to 21.The party managed to turn the tide in key states like West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.Trump ‘likes PM Modi a lot’The Trump camp senator's praise for PM Modi comes at a time when India and the US are negotiating a bilateral trade deal. The two countries, that saw a strain in their economic partnership of over Trump's 50% tariffs imposed on Indian imports last year, saw a big turnaround in ties.This reversal in dynamics was recently spotlighted by Trump, who said that India and the US are close to a trade deal. “We will get to a deal because I like your Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] a lot. He is a good friend of mine, and we get along well. We have a good relationship,” Trump said last week.A four-day visit by United States Trade Representative (USTR) officials from June 1-4 helped push the trade discussions ahead, according to a government statement.Officials from both sides held talks on a range of issues, including market access, non-tariff barriers, customs procedures, trade facilitation measures and economic security cooperation.