Indian-American Falls at Last Hurdle

The man who would have been the first Indian-American governor and the first non-white to hold such a post in the Deep South failed in his election bid yesterday.

Despite a lead in the opinion polls only a week ago, Bobby Jindal, the son of immigrants from India, lost to his Democrat opponent in a runoff for the Louisiana governorship.

Mr Jindal, 32, a Republican, had seemed poised to make history when he led a list of 17 candidates in the first round of the election last month.

However, his Democrat opponent, Kathleen Blanco, 60, a seventh-generation Louisianan, defeated him in the runoff with 52% of the vote to 48%.

Some political commentators suggested that Mr Jindal had failed because some Republicans were not prepared to have a non-white governor. Others blamed the fact that he failed to ask George Bush to campaign in the state on his behalf. Other southern candidates for whom the president campaigned won.

Ms Blanco made history by being the first woman to hold the office. She said her victory represented the state's desire for change. "We have sent a message to the nation that this is a new Louisiana," she told a victory party in New Orleans.

Both candidates came from the conservative wings of their parties, so the Democrats' victory was not seen as of great significance nationally. Both candidates were pro-business, anti-abortion, opposed to affirmative action and sympathetic to gun owners. Ms Blanco is a keen gun collector.

Mr Jindal, whose parents came to Baton Rouge as immigrants from Punjab before he was born, had enjoyed a rapid rise politically and seemed likely to win, only a week ago. While in his twenties he was appointed to run the state's health department and was credited with clearing a $400m (£237m) deficit.

"I stand here tonight disappointed but not discouraged," Mr Jindal said in his concession speech. "Although we didn't win, we did succeed."