Brazilian right-wing Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro won the first round of the country's presidential election, following one of the most polarising campaigns witnessed since the nation returned to democracy three decades back.
As per tweets from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Bolsonaro won Sunday's poll with 46.5 per cent of the vote, ahead of left-wing ex-Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad on 28.5 per cent.
According to CNN, Bolsonaro's lead, in a field of 13 candidates, left him just short of the 50 per cent mark to win outright.
A win in the second round for 63-year-old Bolsonaro would indicate a historic shift to the right in Brazil.
The second round of polling will be held on October 28 if the 50-per cent threshold is not met by any of the candidates.
Bolsonaro, the former army captain, had stirred controversy by making misogynistic and homophobic remarks and is often compared to US President Donald Trump and the Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte.
The campaign made headlines last month when Bolsonaro was stabbed in the abdomen during his campaign event in the state of Minas Gerais.
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