INDIANAPOLIS: lengthening his lead in the delegate race Democratic front-runner Barack Obama swept to victory in the North Carolina primary on Tuesday night and.

While, Hillary Clinton won in Indiana as she struggles to stop her rival's march toward the party's presidential nomination.

''Tonight we stand less than 200 delegates away from winning the Democratic nomination for president of the United States,'' Obama told a raucous rally in Raleigh, NC - and left no doubt he intended to claim the prize.

Obama won at least 40 delegates and Clinton at least 31, with 116 still to be awarded in the state.

That made Indiana a virtual must-win Midwestern state for the former first lady, hoping to counter Obama's persistent delegate advantage with a strong run through the late primaries.

There, returns from 70 per cent of the precincts showed Clinton with 53 per cent of the vote to 47 per cent for Obama. Indiana had 72 delegates at stake.