Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party has won a majority of seats in Canada’s general election, according to provisional results.

The Conservatives have won or are ahead in 167 of the country’s 308 electoral districts.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) is set to come second, with the Liberals trailing, Canadian media projected.

If the results are confirmed, Mr Harper would head a majority government for the first time.

Canadians voted on Monday in the country’s fourth general election in seven years.

Mr Harper went into the vote having headed two successive minority Conservative governments since 2006. His party held 143 seats in the House of Commons prior to the dissolution of the last government.

The Liberals have historically been the main party in opposition when the Conservatives have held power, but the NDP now appears to have taken over that role.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois, which seeks independence for the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, suffered heavy losses, retaining only four seats out of the 47 seats they previously held, according to early results.

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