BJP heads for big win in Rajasthan

Jaipur: The BJP seems to be heading for a big win in India’s desert state of Rajasthan, early vote count trends showed Sunday.

Wild celebrations broke out outside BJP offices across the state as the party appeared to be heading for a thumping victory that would end five years of Congress rule.

Bharatiya Janata Party activists burst firecrackers, beat drums and danced outside the party's state headquarters in the Rajasthan capital.

Similar celebrations took place in all major towns.

The BJP was leading in 129 of the 171 seats where leads were available till 9.55 a.m. The ruling Congress was leading on only 23 seats and the BSP and the National People’s Party in three and five constituencies respectively.

Prominent BJP leaders who were leading include chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje and Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria.

BJP state vice president Onkar Singh Lakhawat said: "We hope to have two-thirds majority when the complete results are out."

The Congress, which had won 102 seats in the last elections, was recording one of its worst defeats in the state.

The party’s candidate who were leading included Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the candidates who were trailing included senior Congress leader B.D. Kalla, Tourism Minister Bina Kak and Urban Development Minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal.

“It is just beginning...we hope to recover and perform better,” said Sushil Sharma, a Congress leader.