“We don’t want any foreign military boots on Maldivian soil… I promised this to the people of the Maldives and I will live up to my promise from day one.”

Having won the Maldives presidential election last month, Mohamed Muizzu is already asking India to withdraw its troops.

In an exclusive interview, the president-elect said he met the Indian ambassador after his victory and “clearly conveyed to him the need to remove every single Indian military personnel here”.

Historically, the Maldives have been under the influence of India, and Mr Muizzu’s demand could lead to diplomatic tensions between Malé and Delhi.

Mr Muizzu’s victory in the Maldives presidential election was seen as a setback for India, especially since his opponent, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, had brought his country closer to Delhi since taking office in 2018.

As a result of Mr Solih’s India-first policy, the alliance backing Mr Muizzu portrayed this relationship as a threat to the Maldives’ sovereignty and security.

As a result of Mr Muizzu’s alliance, the Maldives is expected to have closer ties with China, which has lent and provided grants for infrastructure and development projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The country has also received about $2 billion in development assistance from India, which wants a foothold in the strategically located islands so it can monitor a key part of the Indian Ocean.

However, the “India out” campaign has gained tremendous traction as a result of a furor over “gifts” Delhi gave the Maldives – two helicopters in 2010 and 2013, and a small aircraft in 2020.

A search and rescue mission and medical evacuation were to be performed with the craft, Delhi said.

Nevertheless, the Maldivian defense force reported in 2021 that about 75 Indian personnel were stationed in the country to operate and maintain Indian aircraft. The fact that Indian boots were on the ground prompted suspicion and anger, as many felt the reconnaissance aircraft had been used for this purpose.