Brazil election 2018 results: Will far-right leader win second round in Brazil?

Jair Bolsonaro is facing left-winger Fernando Haddad in the second round on October 28.

With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, Mr Bolsonaro received 46 percent of the votes and Mr Haddad 29 percent.

Mr Bolsonaro, dubbed “Tropical Trump”, won nearly half the votes thanks to a surge in support sparked by growing anger at corruption in the South American country.

The right-winger secured far more of the votes than he was predicted to. Will the far-right leader win second round in Brazil?

Whether or not Jair Bolsonaro will win the second round in Brazil is anyone’s guess at the moment.

Opinion polls conducted before the election predicted that in a second round the two candidates would be tied.

After failing to secure a majority of the votes in the first round of the Brazil election, Jair Bolsonaro will face former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad. Mr Bolsonaro’s Social Liberal Party (PSL) is predicted to become the largest force in Congress, in what analysts have described as a “seismic shift in Brazilian politics.”

With no backing from major parties and little funding, the far-right leader relied on his skilful use of social media during the campaign.

He gained momentum after a near-fatal stabbing at a rally one month ago that kept him from campaigning.

The party leader said the PSL had won 52 seats in the lower house, making it the second biggest party and giving it a “high capacity” to govern Brazil. The result is an explosive growth for a party with only eight lower house seats and no presence in the Senate before the vote.

Lucas de Aragão, a partner at political consulting firm Arko Advice said: ““The PSL is a new chapter in the political history of Brazil. It’s a group that embraces a single thesis of fiscal austerity, of small government, of pension reform.”

Rising violent crime and widespread corruption in Brazil are believed to be the reasons why the nationalist party has gained supporters.

Mr Bolsonaro did not appear at a scheduled press conference due to health reasons, but in a Facebook Live broadcast he declared to “unite the nation.” However, opponent Haddad hinted at some kind of second round alliance, saying he had already spoken to three of the other candidates – Marina Silva, Ciro Gomes and Guilherme Boulos.

But Haddad will need every single one of the voters who opted for the other candidates to win.

Heloísa Starling, a Brazilian historian, said she believed Haddad now needed to piece together “a great democratic coalition” if Brazil was to avoid being hurtled back towards “tyranny”.

She said: “It can’t just be a left-wing coalition — it must include everyone who is prepared to defend democracy, whoever they may be.”

Ciro Gomes and the PDT party came third and received 12.5 percent of the votes followed by Geraldo Alckmin and the PSDB party who got 4.8 percent.

Marina Silva only received one percent of the votes and Guilherme Boulos 0.6 percent.

Sunday’s strong showing for Bolsonaro allies in legislative elections defied many pollsters’ forecasts and suggests the formerly undistinguished congressman could have an easier-than-expected time garnering support for tough economic reforms.