NEW DELHI : India's ruling Congress party has scored unexpected wins in a string of state elections, officials said Monday, defying predictions of a voter backlash after the Mumbai attacks and an economic downturn.
Election Commission officials said the governing party had chalked up victories in the capital area New Delhi and in the remote northeastern state of M
izoram as results from five state polls held over the past month came in.
Official figures also showed Congress well on track to wrest power from its main rival, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the northern desert state of Rajasthan.
The polls -- which have seen straight fights between the Congress and the BJP -- are viewed as a key indicator of voter intentions ahead of national elections due by May 2009 at the latest. The BJP, however, was likely to retain its hold over the central states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, media projections said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh described the projected Delhi results as "shocking as we thought we would win."
The party also conceded defeat in Rajasthan, with incumbent chief minister Vasundhra Raje saying she respected "the people's verdict" and promising to "play the role of a constructive opposition."
The results are an important boost for Congress, which leads the federal coalition government but has been on the ropes over the economic slowdown and punishing inflation.
The government's record on national security has also come under the spotlight following the Islamic militant attacks in Mumbai, which left 172 dead, including nine gunmen, and exposed India's intelligence failings.
Definitive results were expected later Monday, but supporters of Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were already celebrating outside her official residence -- distributing sweets and dancing to drum beats.
"Many thanks to the people of Delhi who supported us and our slogans of development and progress," a smiling Dikshit told cheering colleagues.
"It's an outright rejection" of the BJP playing up "the terror card," she said adding: "The people of Delhi have given a fitting reply."
During the more recent polls -- held as Mumbai was still under a state of siege -- the BJP had painted Congress as being "soft on terror."
Congress party spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan admitted the Mumbai terror attack had been a "worrying factor" for party strategists.
But another Congress spokesman Tom Vadakkan said the results "showed that terror is a national issue and not an issue patented by one party."
Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai described the expected Congress victory in Delhi as "a very, very remarkable achievement."
"Bucking anti-incumbency is a big thing, but the Delhi chief minister has also beaten the BJP's twin campaign planks -- price rises and terror," said Kidwai. (AFP)
Election Commission officials said the governing party had chalked up victories in the capital area New Delhi and in the remote northeastern state of M
izoram as results from five state polls held over the past month came in.Official figures also showed Congress well on track to wrest power from its main rival, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the northern desert state of Rajasthan.
The polls -- which have seen straight fights between the Congress and the BJP -- are viewed as a key indicator of voter intentions ahead of national elections due by May 2009 at the latest. The BJP, however, was likely to retain its hold over the central states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, media projections said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh described the projected Delhi results as "shocking as we thought we would win."
The party also conceded defeat in Rajasthan, with incumbent chief minister Vasundhra Raje saying she respected "the people's verdict" and promising to "play the role of a constructive opposition."
The results are an important boost for Congress, which leads the federal coalition government but has been on the ropes over the economic slowdown and punishing inflation.
The government's record on national security has also come under the spotlight following the Islamic militant attacks in Mumbai, which left 172 dead, including nine gunmen, and exposed India's intelligence failings.
Definitive results were expected later Monday, but supporters of Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were already celebrating outside her official residence -- distributing sweets and dancing to drum beats.
"Many thanks to the people of Delhi who supported us and our slogans of development and progress," a smiling Dikshit told cheering colleagues.
"It's an outright rejection" of the BJP playing up "the terror card," she said adding: "The people of Delhi have given a fitting reply."
During the more recent polls -- held as Mumbai was still under a state of siege -- the BJP had painted Congress as being "soft on terror."
Congress party spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan admitted the Mumbai terror attack had been a "worrying factor" for party strategists.
But another Congress spokesman Tom Vadakkan said the results "showed that terror is a national issue and not an issue patented by one party."
Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai described the expected Congress victory in Delhi as "a very, very remarkable achievement."
"Bucking anti-incumbency is a big thing, but the Delhi chief minister has also beaten the BJP's twin campaign planks -- price rises and terror," said Kidwai. (AFP)
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