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Indian Congress 'ahead in polls' Poll boost for India's Congress
(about 8 hours later)
India's governing Congress Party is leading in three of the five states where elections were held recently, early results suggest. India's governing Congress Party is heading for victory in three of the five states where elections were held recently, initial results suggest.
The opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead in the remaining two states. Congress is ahead in Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram while the main opposition BJP is poised to retain Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in central India.
The elections, mostly in central and western states, could reveal India's mood after the Mumbai attacks and an economic slowdown. The key election issues had been the economic slowdown and security following the Mumbai (Bombay) attacks.
The votes come ahead of a general election, which must be held by May.The votes come ahead of a general election, which must be held by May.
Early results suggest that the Congress Party is likely to retain Delhi and Mizoram and also win control of Rajasthan from the BJP. Anti-terror law
Meanwhile, the BJP seems set to return to power in Madhya Pradesh and is marginally ahead in Chhattisgarh. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says many had expected Congress to be on the receiving end of a backlash following the Mumbai attacks and amid economic uncertainty. name="goback"> class="bodl" href="#map"> See a map of states voting
But the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has already conceded it has lost control of Rajasthan and it failed to challenge Congress in the capital.
The BJP is well ahead in Madhya Pradesh. The contest is closer in Chhattisgarh but the BJP is likely to retain control.
ELECTION TIMETABLE 14 and 20 November: Chattisgarh27 November: Madhya Pradesh17 November to 24 December: Jammu and Kashmir29 November: Delhi2 December: Mizoram4 December: Rajasthan India state elections guide
In Mizoram in the north-east, Congress swept back to power for the first time in a decade. It has won 27 of the 32 seats declared so far. There are 40 seats in the Mizoram assembly.
Our correspondent says this is a morale-boosting performance for the government.
He says Congress is particularly celebrating the result in Delhi - a third straight term in a state that voted in the immediate aftermath of Mumbai, when the government was being strongly criticised for being weak on terrorism.
"This is the beginning of the decline of the BJP," Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily told the Reuters news agency.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit condemned the BJP for playing the "terror card".
"It's an outright rejection," she said. "The people of Delhi have given a fitting reply."
BJP president Rajnath Singh admitted defeat in Delhi would be "shocking as we thought we would win".
Voting in Indian-administered Kashmir is still going on and the results for the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be released later in December.Voting in Indian-administered Kashmir is still going on and the results for the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be released later in December.
name="goback"> class="bodl" href="#map"> See a map of states voting Along with rising prices, security has been a key issue in the six elections, with many Indian cities, including Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi hit by bomb blasts recently, with large loss of life.
Key issues in the state elections included rising prices and security following a spate of bomb attacks blamed mostly on Islamist militants. The BJP campaigned for a tougher anti-terror law.
Many Indian cities, including Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and the capital, Delhi, have been hit by bomb blasts recently, with large losses of life. Analysts had said the party that fared better would find it easier to secure alliances with regional parties before the general election, which is of the utmost importance when building a post-election governing coalition.
The BJP has been campaigning for a tougher anti-terror law in response to the bombings.
Analysts say that whichever party does better - Congress or the BJP - may find it easier to secure alliances with regional parties before the general election, which is of the utmost importance when building a post-election governing coalition.
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