Thai Rak Thai was the most popular party in the Northeast because it had kept its campaign promises, said a key figure in the TRT's campaign in the region.

Gen Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya, TRT deputy leader and the party's campaign chief in the Northeast, attributed the party's landslide victory to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's popularity and the success of party's policies such as the village fund, the dept-suspension plan, the 30-baht health-care scheme and the war on drugs.

Unlike other parties, TRT was serious about implementing populist policies, he said. Rival parties simply offered policy platforms, but provided no clear guidelines to implement them, said Gen Thammarak.

Before the election, TRT predicted it would win 120 Northeast seats and might win if it campaigned hard in 10 other constituencies, said Gen Thammarak. Semior party members, including Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Phinij Jarusombat and Suwat Liptapanlop, were assigned to take care of party candidates.

TRT intensified its campaign in constituencies where party candidates were trailing rivals such as in Khon Kaen's constituency 4 and Maha Sarakham's constituency 4, said Gen Thammarak.

``From now on, the long-standing problems of northeastern folks, such as water shortages, will be seriously addressed. Local people will have enough water for consumption and use. Budgets have also been set aside for this purpose in about 100,000 villages nationwide. Existing water sources will be improved for agricultural activities. We believe this scheme will help eradicate the poverty in the Northeast,'' said the deputy Thai Rak Thai leader.

He shrugged off speculation that the party, made up of many factions, would face internal rifts, saying there was no factions in the party.

Several exit polls showed that TRT would sweep 132 out of 136 House seats in the Northeast, leaving the remaining four seats to Chart Thai.

Sunday's election was a big upset for the Democrats, who were used to taking 30-40 seats in the Northeast.

Suthas Ngernmuen, deputy Democrat leader who oversaw the party's campaign in the Northeast, fielded his son, Apiwat Ngernmuen, in Amnat Charoen province, which was considered Mr Suthas' stronghold. Both Mr Apiwat and another Democrat candidate Vithoon Nambut, a veteran politician in Ubon Ratchathani who had never lost an election, were not in the list of winners on Sunday.

Mr Suthas said he did not believe the results of exit polls. If the outcomes of yesterday's poll were similar to those of the exit polls, he would not accept them.

Chart Thai, which captured four seats according to the exit polls, campaigned hard in the Northeast. Its party leader Banharn Silpa-archa had helped campaign for party candidates to retain party strongholds in Roi Et, Maha Sarakham and some lower Northeast provinces following the defection of Chart Thai politicians led by Newin Chidchob to Thai Rak Thai.

The election atmosphere in many northeastern provinces was lively with the voter turnout at least 70-80%.