Ethnic Indian neck-and-neck in US poll

Salim Rizvi in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Mr Jindal is hoping to consolidate the state's conservative nature

As polling looms in the southern US state of Louisiana on Friday, Bobby Jindal is facing a tough battle to become the nation's first governor of Indian origin.

Mr Jindal, who is of Punjabi descent, is neck-and-neck in the polls with Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat of Cajun origin.

Louisiana is itself entering unchartered territory - it has never had a non-white nor a female governor.

As the campaign went down to the wire, the traditional issues of jobs, health care and education were coming to the fore.

Whiz-kid

Mr Jindal has the advantage that Louisiana is a traditionally conservative state - its departing governor, Mike Foster, is Republican and cannot run again because of term limits.

Given the nature of the Republican constituency in the state, it helps, too, that Mr Jindal is staunchly Christian - he converted during his teens.

He is also seen as something of a whiz-kid with a knack for problem-solving.

Mr Jindal has already caught the eye of President Bush

Aged only 32, his main claim to fame was taking charge of the state's health and hospitals department, turning round a deficit of $400 million into a profit of over $1bn.

His achievements caught the eye of President George W Bush, who appointed him a health policy advisor in his administration.

The circumstances of that turnaround have now developed into a campaign issue.

Critics claim it was only achieved by cutting government aid to the hospitals.

A group of doctors said 65,000 people, including 30,000 children, were dropped from the health-insurance rolls while Mr Jindal was the state's health secretary from 1996 to 1998.

Mr Jindal says this is an attempt by political opponents to distort his record.

We are not specifically targeting any particular group. Jindal is for the whole state Trey Williams, Jindal spokesman

"I don't think it's a coincidence that in the last week of a close campaign... you're beginning to see these sort of political attacks for the first time."

Mr Jindal will need to convince voters he can also turn around education and the economy.

Louisiana is one of the poorest southern states and young people often leave quickly after completing their education to look for jobs elsewhere.

Many voters are also fed up with the inefficiency of politicians and their inability to keep campaign promises.

This may help Mr Jindal - his opponent is the lieutenant governor and has had 20 years in public office.

Not black and white

What he must be wary of is the African-American vote.

While conservative whites are expected to vote for a man of Asian origin, the state's blacks are more likely to swing behind the white Ms Blanco.

Jobs, education and health-care are the key campaign issues

It is unlikely Mr Jindal will get more than 10% of the black vote, but his spokesman, Trey Williams, tried to play down the issue.

"We are not specifically targeting any particular group. Jindal is for the whole state. Traditionally, we have never got the black votes. We are hoping that they will vote this time as Bobby has reached out to this community," he said.

For a state that almost elected a former Ku Klux Klansman - David Duke - its governor just over a decade ago, this race has become a far less black-and-white issue.

Even some Indians have voiced dissent against Mr Jindal because of his conversion to Catholicism.

Although the ambitious Mr Jindal might just have the edge, he is well aware the result could still go either way.

That was why the Rhodes scholar and Brown University graduate was out campaigning hard on Wednesday, urging his supporters to ignore the "same old political rhetoric, same old nonsense" from his opponents.

"Don't turn on your TV, don't listen to anyone, don't say anything. You don't know what kind of nonsense you will get to hear," he said.