Congress wins state election

New Delhi - India's main opposition party headed by the Italian-born Ms Sonia Gandhi was yesterday heading towards a morale-boosting…

New Delhi - India's main opposition party headed by the Italian-born Ms Sonia Gandhi was yesterday heading towards a morale-boosting win in a crucial state election, officials said.

The Congress party had taken 14 of the 25 seats whose results had been declared in the small western state of Goa, and election projections showed it could gain a majority in the 40-member assembly.

India's ruling Hindu nationalists made significant gains but were trailing a poor second, while smaller regional groups suffered humiliating defeats.