Lula holds 4-point lead over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil runoff poll

Sao Paulo: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva continues to lead Senator Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of the October election, although the right-wing challenger has narrowed the gap by one percentage point, a change within the error margin, a Datafolha poll showed on ‌Friday.

In a ⁠simulated ⁠second-round runoff, Lula would receive 47% of the vote against Bolsonaro's ​43%, according to Datafolha, which has an error margin of two percentage ​points. In July, Lula led Senator Bolsonaro, son of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, by 48% to 43%.

Also Read: Brazil emerges as major rare earths source for India


In a first-round ​scenario, Lula leads with 39% of the ⁠votes, followed ‌by Bolsonaro (33%), Ronaldo Caiado (5%), Renan Santos (4%), and ​Romeu Zema (3%).

​If no candidate wins more than 50% ⁠of valid votes in the first round, the ​two frontrunners advance to a runoff, which ​has happened in every presidential election since 2002.

Lula's approval rating fell to 47%, Datafolha showed, from 49% in July, while his disapproval rate rose to 50% from 48%.

This was the first Datafolha poll released since the ‌start of the official campaign, when candidates are legally allowed to actively seek votes.

Also Read: India-Brazil partnership is one between equals: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

It was ​also the ​first Datafolha poll ⁠after Brazil's Supreme Court authorized Federal Police to investigate Lula's eldest son on suspicion of illicit business dealings involving the ​federal government.

Senator Bolsonaro saw his poll numbers fall after the revelation in May that he asked a now-jailed banker to finance a film about his father.

Datafolha surveyed 2,058 people starting on August 18.