MONTREAL - In a victory speech aimed at showing his sovereigntist party is still very much alive, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said his rivals' willingness to "recognize Quebec as a nation" is just the beginning.

"This election gave us the first opportunity to have a real debate after every party in the House of Commons recognized Quebec as a nation," he said in English before a boisterous crowd of fleur-de-lis-waving supporters.

"But let's be clear, this must lead us further... toward real progress."

Duceppe, who soared to victory in his Montreal riding of Laurier-Sainte-Marie with 50 per cent of the popular vote, said Quebec has its own culture, its own ways of developing its economy and its own approach to dealing with young offenders.

"We ask for respect -- true and tangible respect," he said, his comments aimed at English Canada.

"In any case, I can assure you that the Bloc will continue to act in good faith, in full respect of the Canadian nation and its democratic institutions."

By the end of the night, the Bloc Quebecois had won 50 of the province's 75 seats, repeating its 2006 success and keeping its stranglehold on the province.

Political commentators had argued the Bloc's rise in popularity during the campaign had little to do with a renewed interest in Quebec sovereignty and more to do with a lack of viable alternatives.

Duceppe, 61, spent the final days and hours of his campaign urging Quebec voters to prevent a Conservative majority by electing their local Bloc candidate.

He said his party was the only one that could stop the Conservatives from getting more than 50 per cent of the 308 seats up for grabs.

"Without the Bloc Quebecois tonight, (Tory Leader) Stephen Harper would have formed a majority government," Duceppe said in his victory speech at a downtown Montreal night club.

His final campaign stop on Thanksgiving Monday before returning to Montreal to cast his own vote and watch the election results roll in took him to the Roberval-Lac St-Jean riding of popular Tory incumbent Denis Lebel.

While he steered clear of criticizing Lebel, he told supporters the Conservative would hold little clout within his party and woudn't be able to represent their interests in Ottawa.

Duceppe's strategy failed to pay off as Lebel retained his seat.

The 11th hour of the Duceppe campaign also took aim at the government's unpopular decision to appoint former senator Michael Fortier to cabinet after the last election in a bid to boost Quebec representation.

Duceppe demanded an end to what he called the undemocratic practice of appointing unelected cabinet ministers, noting he'd rather see no Quebecers around the cabinet table.

Quebec support for Conservative Leader Stephen Harper plummeted halfway through the campaign.

Pundits blamed the sagging Tory fortunes on Harper's poor performance during the French-language debate, his unpopular decision to cut $45 million to arts and culture programs across the country and his party's plan to jail offenders as young as 14.

Some also suggested Harper took the province for granted and simply failed to pound the pavement in Quebec during the 37-day campaign.

This was Duceppe's fifth election campaign as the leader of the Bloc since 1997.

One of the highlights this time around came earlier this month during a rare stop outside Quebec where Duceppe addressed a Toronto audience of business men and women.

Sitting at the head table was beloved Canadian author Margaret Atwood who said she would vote for the Bloc if she lived in Quebec.