The BJP's performance in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was better than expected as opinion and exit polls had suggested a close contest between Modi's party and the opposition Congress.

NEW DELHI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - India’s ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday won regional votes in three out of four major states, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a national election due by May.

The central states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the southern state of Telangana, voted last month in the last set of provincial elections before the national poll, in which Modi will seek a third term.

BJP comfortably won Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the main opposition Congress and retained Madhya Pradesh, vote-counting data from the independent election panel showed.