THE Gandhi political dynasty prepared for a return to power yesterday after it was handed a stunning victory in India’s elections.

The opposition Congress party and its allies scored unexpectedly strong gains in India’s Parliament elections as the nail-biting finale to the polls seemed to be heading for an upset.

India held the fifth and final phase of the world’s largest democratic election today, amid doubts over whether Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be returned to power with a stable government.

MILITANTS struck polling sites with grenades, rifles and bombs yesterday as Indians from Goan beaches to Himalayan mountains voted in a crucial third round of elections that will decide the fate of opposition leader Sonia Gandhi and her son, first-time candidate Rahul.

India’s parliamentary elections today entered a crucial third round that will determine the fate of opposition leader Sonia Gandhi and her son, first-time candidate Rahul, the latest member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics.