India's ruling Congress party has been ousted from power in another state, the latest in a string of electoral reverses this year, results showed Saturday. The main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in the northern hill state of Himachal Pradesh by grabbing 41 seats in the 68-member house, the Election Commission website said.
Congress, which rules at national level, won just 23 constituencies. The BJP was predicted to win because of a strong anti-incumbency factor against its rival.
The results came within a week of the BJP returning to power in the religiously divided western state of Gujarat - where elections were seen as the barometer of popular mood ahead of national elections in 2009.
The BJP has already ousted Congress in two more states this year, while both parties lost another key province. The country's two main parties will have more contests next year as major states such as southern Karnataka, western Rajasthan and central Madhya Pradesh hold elections.