BUDAPEST (RETUERS) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party was re-elected on Sunday (April 8) for a third successive term with a strong mandate, with preliminary results showing Fidesz possibly gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament.

With 74.6 per cent of votes counted, National Election Office data projected Fidesz winning 134 seats in the 199-seat parliament.

Nationalist Jobbik was projected to win 26 seats, with the Socialists in third place with 20 lawmakers.

Hungary's right-wing Jobbik party came a distant second in Sunday elections, prompting the resignation of Jobbik's chairman Gabor Vona.

"Jobbik's goal, to win the elections and force a change in government, was not achieved," Vona told a late-night news conference. "Fidesz won. It won again."

"I hereby tender my resignation. Tomorrow afternoon Jobbik's board will plan the tasks ahead ... We would have liked for this high turnout to yield a different result, but the people decided this way."