Senator Barack Obama has defeated rival Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Georgia, Alabama and llinois as results of the voting in the 24 US primaries trickled in.

Obama has also scored victories in Delaware, Idaho, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, North Dakota and Kansas.

Media reports attributed Obama's victory in Georgia to the overwhelming support from black voters.

Political analysts have maintained that the Obama momentum should go beyond the South where African-Americans are expected to vote for him in overwhelming numbers.

In Georgia, Obama came away with 77 per cent of the 'younger' voters under the age of 30.

The front-runners of the Democratic and Republican parties have played down expectations knowing full well that on this 'national primary' day, there may not yet be a clear-cut winner.

There are 1,023 delegates to the Republican National Convention at stake in primaries in 15 states, caucuses in five and the West Virginia state convention. And many of the states have a winner-take-all system for the delegates.

However, the Democrats have more at stake than Republicans as they hold 15 primaries, and caucuses in seven states plus American Samoa, with 1,681 delegates for grabs.

The Democratic fight after 'Super Tuesday' will go all the way to the Convention Floor in Denver this August with both Clinton and Obama fighting for the support of 'Super Delegates' -- about 750 or so prominent Democrats, who have a say in the nomination process.

Clinton will fight on the floor of the Convention to have the delegates of Michigan and Florida [Images] counted as well.

The Democratic National Committee had stripped the two states of delegates because they had advanced the primary dates without approval.

Photograph: Paul J Richards/AFP/Getty Images