Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headed for a surprise election victory in Haryana state on Tuesday, reinforcing its popularity in the northern heartland a few months after stumbling in national elections.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party pulled off a surprise victory in a closely-watched contest in Haryana state, giving a boost to the ruling party after a setback in national elections earlier this year and bolstering its prospects ahead of other regional polls.

By Sakshi Dayal NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved into the lead in elections in the northern state of Haryana on Tuesday, reversing early trends when it was trailing the main opposition Congress party,

The BJP is in the lead in the state of Haryana which borders the capital Delhi, but trails in the federal territories of Jammu and Kashmir, which are seeing their first election results in a decade. The first local elections in India since Mr Modi’s party lost its outright majority in parliament,

In the 1990s, Narendra Modi began his political journey as BJP's general secretary in Haryana, focusing on building the party's presence. His dedication led to significant electoral victories, including the 2024 elections.