NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party made big gains in two Indian state elections, partial results showed on Sunday, in an endorsement that will encourage him to step up the pace of economic reforms.
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was leading in 115 of 288 seats in Maharashtra, NDTV news said. That more than doubled its seat count in the state that is home to the financial capital, Mumbai, but fell short of an outright majority.
The BJP was ahead in 48 of 90 seats in Haryana, which borders the capital New Delhi to the west, enough to rule alone. The party's showing was just down from the May general election, when it won India's first parliamentary majority in 30 years.
(Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
