Brazil polls: Prez Lula heading towards run-off

Silva, who brought economic stability to Brazil and dramatically boosted anti-poverty but was dogged by corruption allegations.

Brazil's leftist president led his main challenger in his bid for re-election, but was falling just shy of the majority of votes needed to avoid a runoff, results showed.

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With 72 per cent of the ballots counted, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had 49 per cent of the vote compared to 41 per cent for the center-right Sao Paulo state Gov Geraldo Alckmin, election officials said. Far-left Sen Heloisa Helena had 7 per cent, while lesser-known candidates split the rest.

Silva, who brought economic stability to Brazil and dramatically boosted anti-poverty but was dogged by corruption allegations, needs 50 per cent plus one vote to win the contest. If he fails to get that, he and Alckmin head to a runoff on October 29.

Earlier on Sunday, Silva sounded confidence after voting in the industrial town of Sao Bernardo Do Campo where he rose to prominence as a labour leader.

"I am sure we will win the election today, in the first round," he said.

For months, polls have shown Silva easily winning a first-round victory. But Silva saw his once-commanding lead plummet on the eve of the vote, as his Workers' Party was battered by allegations that party officials tried to buy a mysterious dossier that apparently contained incriminating information about a political rival.