Poll shows Bolsonaro with slight lead over Lula ahead of Brazilian run-off

Poll shows right-wing candidate with two percent advantage over Lula going into second round of voting on October 25.A new poll has found that right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro maintains a slight lead over President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the two candidates seek an edge ahead of Brazil’s tense October 25 run-off vote.A Quaest poll released on Thursday found that Bolsonaro, son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, would receive 46 percent of the vote compared to Lula’s 44 percent, a difference within the two-percent margin of error.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why Flavio Bolsonaro outperformed the polls in Brazil’s electionlist 2 of 3Will Brazil’s Lula halt the right-wing wave sweeping Latin America?list 3 of 3Brazil’s presidential race: Three key takeaways from the first roundend of listBolsonaro outperformed expectations during the first round of voting on October 4, beating Lula by less than two points despite most polls suggesting that the leftist president was on track for a marginal first-round win. Neither candidate secured a majority that would have avoided a run-off.The poll, the first released by Quaest since the initial round of voting, shows that Bolsonaro has held onto his lead and remains the favourite heading into the second round.Lula has sought to rally his supporters after the October 4 loss, holding large rallies that have drawn millions of people onto the street.While Bolsonaro has remained ahead in the polls, analysts have pointed out that he has not benefitted as much from the elimination of several conservative candidates, whose supporters would presumably prefer him to Lula, as might have been expected after the first round.Bolsonaro has made progress securing endorsements from right and centre-right parties, however, seeking to consolidate support from conservatives and build a coalition friendly to business interests and a policy agenda sought by investors.