ByREUTERS
Updated:

 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has maintained a two-percentage-point lead over Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, his main challenger, in a potential runoff ahead of October's election, a Datafolha poll showed on Thursday.

In a simulated runoff, Lula would receive 47% of the vote compared with 45% for Bolsonaro. A previous Datafolha poll last week had Lula leading Bolsonaro by 46% to 44%.

The result also represents a technical tie as it falls within the poll's margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Lula is closely trailed by Bolsonaro in election polls

In a first-round scenario, Lula leads with 40% of the vote, followed by Bolsonaro (36%), Augusto Cury (5%), Ronaldo Caiado (4%) and Renan Santos (3%).

The previous poll showed the leftist president with 39% against the right-wing senator's 36%.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives home to begin serving house arrest following authorization by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, after Bolsonaro was convicted by a Supreme Court majority of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, in Brasilia.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives home to begin serving house arrest following authorization by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, after Bolsonaro was convicted by a Supreme Court majority of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, in Brasilia. (credit: REUTERS/ADRIANO MACHADO)

Senator Bolsonaro is the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting to overturn his 2022 election defeat to Lula.

If no candidate wins more than 50% of valid votes in the first round, the two frontrunners advance to a runoff.
Datafolha surveyed 2,002 people between September 22-23.