India readies for key state polls

Congress holds power in four contested states

Campaigning is drawing to a close in India ahead of key state elections due on Monday.

The ruling BJP is locked in a straight battle with the Congress Party in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chattisgarh.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi are both making campaign appearances on Friday.

Both parties hope to make gains in the states - all Congress-controlled - ahead of national elections next year.

Correspondents say the BJP is hoping that by unseating the Congress party it will seize the initiative at national level.

Voter appeal

On Friday, both parties deployed their top leadership in a final appeal to the voters.

Mr Vajpayee and Mrs Gandhi are campaigning in Rajasthan, where both parties are fighting a close battle.

At his rallies, the prime minister has accused Congress of poor governance, especially in the area of infrastructure.

In contrast, Congress leaders have focused on the issue of corruption, following a recent scandal involving a BJP politician.

A newspaper published pictures of a video tape which it said showed the politician, Dilip Singh Judeo, allegedly accepting cash from the representative of a mining company.

Mr Judeo, who was the environment and forests minister in the Vajpayee government, has since resigned pending the conclusion of an investigation.

Voting takes place on Monday and the ballots will be counted on Thursday, with results expected the same day.