New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation on Wednesday with King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and the two leaders exchanged views on global challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Spoke on phone with His Majesty @KingSalman about the important role being played by the G20 under the Saudi Presidency, including against COVID-19. We also reviewed the tremendous growth in our bilateral ties in recent years," Modi tweeted.

The Prime Minister's Office in a separate statement said Modi expressed his appreciation for the leadership provided by Saudi Arabia during its ongoing presidency of the G20 grouping.

He also expressed "special thanks" to King Salman for the support provided to Indian expatriates by the Saudi authorities during the pandemic.

The two leaders agreed that the initiatives taken at the level of the G20 had helped in promoting a coordinated response to the pandemic.

They also discussed the main priorities presently on the agenda of the G20, it said.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the state of bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia, and committed to further strengthening cooperation in all areas, the PMO said.

Modi conveyed his warm wishes for the good health and well-being of King Salman, other members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia and all citizens of the kingdom.

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Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Saturday alleged that the voters were intimidated and threatened by the ruling BJP regime. Rai's remarks came as counting for nine Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh shows a strong performance by the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

“It was already decided in UP that the BJP is fighting the elections with the help of its machinery. The result of that has come out. All the machinery of the government, from police to administration, was deployed. Voters were intimidated and threatened. This is a complete murder of democracy,” Rai said, as reported by Hindustan Times.

According to latest ECI trends the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is performing strongly. Out of the nine Assembly constituencies where bypolls were held, the BJP is leading in five seats—Kundarki, Khair, Ghaziabad, Phulpur, and Majhawan. Its ally, the RLD, is ahead in Meerapur. The Samajwadi Party (SP), however, is not far behind, leading in three constituencies: Karhal, Katehari, and Sisamau.