NEW DELHI, Aug 7: India’s ruling Hindu nationalists were euphoric Saturday after an opinion poll predicted victory for its multi-party coalition in elections only a month away, reports AFP.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's BJP party said it was not surprised at the findings of the survey released late Friday and added it hoped to better its expected showing in the days to come.

"We are happy." party spokesman J.P. Mathur told AFP. The opinion poll is an indication of people's mood. We hope to better our position as campaigning picks up."

The opinion poll, sponsored by the respected Outlook newsmagazine. said the BJP and Its allies would win 279 to 289 seats in the 545-member parliament -- which would be enough to retain power.

It said the main opposition Congress party, headed by Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, and its allies would finish a distant second, securingjust 152 to 162 seats.

The numerous other parties in the fray, widely known as the "third front." would end up with 97-107 seats, it said.

It was the first opinion poll ahead of the September-October elections, which have been widely tipped to throw up another hung parliament.

Outlook- said a majority of the 10,650 voters surveyed in the last week of July thought Vajpayee, a moderate among Hindu nationalists, was the

best choice for prime minister.

'The vote of 1999 will be a vote for Vajpayee. It is his image across the country which has given an advantage to the BJP. In fact. 51 per cent of those polled felt that he is the best bet to lead the country."

Mathur agreed with the assessment of Vajpayee, whose popularity has soared on the strength of a nationalist fervour fuelled by recent fighting in the Himalayan state of Kashmir.