India, April 22 -- New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Tuesday that he had survived a vote on his leadership among his own party's lawmakers, after recent slumps in the polls prompted speculation, he might be ousted.

The vote was held behind closed doors during a routine meeting of Luxon's centre-right National Party lawmakers and was sought by the Prime Minister himself. Luxon emerged afterwards to read a brief statement announcing the vote and departed without taking questions from reporters. "Last week, there has been intense media speculation about my leadership," Luxon said, adding that he had called for a confidence vote "to put that media speculation to rest."

His party caucus had "answered clearly and decisively," ...