NEW DELHI - INDIAN Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recuperated in a New Delhi hospital on Sunday following successful heart bypass surgery just months ahead of general elections, doctors said.

'The ventilator has been taken off and he is breathing on his own. This is an important step,' Ramakant Panda, one of the surgeons, said after the 11-hour procedure.

The 76-year-old prime minister had received family visitors and was eager to get back to work, said Dr Panda.

A statement from Mr Singh's office said he spent an 'uneventful' night at the state-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where surgeons had performed five bypasses to clear blockages in his arteries.

Doctors told a press conference late on Saturday that they expected the prime minister to resume some officials duties within two to four weeks, but predicted he would need up to six weeks to be fully active.

News of Mr Singh's health after the surgery was welcomed by his cabinet colleagues and members of his Congress party.

'The entire country is rejoicing because our prime minister has come out successfully from the operation,' Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily said.

Mr Singh, a diabetic, underwent heart bypass surgery in Britain in 1990 and angioplasty in 2003. He has largely been in good health since he was sworn in as prime minister in May 2004, but also recently underwent prostate surgery.

His latest bypass surgery prompted concerns that his health could interfere with the Congress party's campaign ahead of a general election to be held in April.

Congress said earlier in the week that the soft-spoken economist would lead the party into the polls.

There has been widespread speculation that party chief Sonia Gandhi is lining up her son, Mr Rahul Gandhi, heir to India's powerful Gandhi dynasty, as the next prime minister.

A Congress spokesman dismissed the idea of a leadership change, saying it was said it was 'irrelevant to talk about it. Manmohan Singh is our prime minister and our vibrant prime minister'. Government officials said Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee would take charge of cabinet meetings during the premier's absence and would also assume control of the finance portfolio, currently held by Singh.

Mr Singh's role in Republic Day celebrations on Monday would be filled by Defence Minister A.K. Anthony, officials said, but newspapers complained there was confusion over exactly who held power.

'With Manmohan Singh likely to be incapacitated for a month or so after the surgery, who will control the nuclear button if the need - even though it seems far-fetched - arises?' asked the Times of India.

Prayer sessions were held across the country for Mr Singh's recovery and political leaders from all sides expressed hopes for his speedy return to good health.

Family members offered prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest site in the Sikh religion, to which the prime minister belongs. -- AFP