From Lalit K Jha Washington, Feb 8 (PTI) Rick Santorum, the former Senator from Pennsylvania, today won the Republican caucuses in three States, reshaping the party's primary race and staking out his claim to be the main alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney. Santorum's victory in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado caucuses is a setback to Romney, who after two consecutive wins in Florida and Nevada was considered as the front-runner for the Republican primary. 53-year-old Santorum has so far won four States including his razor thin victory over Romney in Iowa. Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts, has won three. Newt Gingrich, the former House of Representatives Speaker, has won South Carolina primary. Fourth candidate Ron Paul, the Texas Congressman, has not won any State so far. The final winner of these Republican primaries to be held in all the States would get the party's nomination to challenge incumbent Barack Obama in the November elections. "Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota. I don't stand here to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama," Santorum said in his victory rally. "Tonight was not just a victory for us, but tonight was a victory for the voices of our party, conservatives and Tea Party people, who are out there every single day in the vineyards building the conservative movement in this country, building the base of the Republican Party, and building a voice for freedom in this land," said the former Pennsylvania Senator, who is no match to the money bank of Romney. MORE PTI LKJ ZH AKJ
