Congress does well in state elections

Congress, India's ruling party appeared set to win two state elections and was leading in a third on Monday, defying predictions of a political battering after both an economic slowdown and the militant attacks on Mumbai.
 
Counting went on for five state elections, mostly in central and west India. Final counting was due by late Monday and  results could still change, with factors such as the need for winning parties to secure coalitions to govern.

The elections come before national elections in early 2009 that will pit a ruling Congress-led coalition against an opposition alliance led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP, buoyant after a string of state election wins in the last year, had expected a clean sweep of the four biggest elections -- the western state of Rajasthan, the central states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the capital, Delhi.