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Neves overtakes Silva in Brazil presidential poll

October 4, 2014

Brazilian presidential challenger Aecio Neves has moved in front of Marina Silva in polling ahead of Sunday's election. While incumbent Dilma Rousseff remains favorite to win, she could now face a different challenger.

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Aecio Neves und Marina Silva
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Lacerda

Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), nudged ahead of rival Silva on the eve of the election, polls showed Saturday, in a race to see who might make it to a second round.

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, standing for the Workers' Party (PT), looks set to easily secure the most votes in Sunday's election, with polling firm Datafolha giving her 44 percent of the vote.

However, the poll showed that environmentalist Silva, of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) - on 24 percent - had slipped behind pro-business candidate Neves, who garnered 26 percent.

A separate poll by Ibope showed Neves on 27 percent and Silva on 24 percent, with Rousseff - who took over from former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2010 - clearly in front on 46 percent.

Brasilien Wahlkampf TV Debatte Dilma Rousseff
Rousseff has had her critics but looks to be on track for a second termImage: Reuters/Nacho Doce

Several other candidates are also standing in the first round, although the election is essentially a three-way race.

Polls showed signs of turnaround

If none of the candidates can garner at least 50 percent of the vote, the contest would go to a second round featuring the top two candidates from the first round.

Polls published on Thursday - the day of the candidates' final debate - showed Rousseff had increased her first-round lead to 16 percentage points, having attained 40 percent of overall voter support. Silva managed just 24 percent - putting her then only a little above Neves, who had between 19 and 20 percent.

The announcement of Silva's candidature followed the death of previous PSB candidate Eduardo Campos in a plane crash. Silva's selection, coupled with sympathy for the party in the wake of Campos' death, initially led to a welter of support for the PSB, with Silva tipped to beat Rousseff should the election go to a head-to-head runoff.

Rousseff's campaign showed signs of bouncing back early last month. Silva is thought to have lost ground, in part, after a barrage of criticism for Rousseff that her pro-market policies represented a threat to the country's poor.

rc/dr (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)