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This narrow victory is disappointing for Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, to whom the polls promised a large lead, even a triumph in the first round, which he wanted to celebrate on the great Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo. He will have to face his sworn enemy in a second round, provided for by electoral law on October 30. President Jair Bolsonaro held up much better than expected as polls showed him trailing far behind Lula in voting intentions (36% to 50%).
For the populist leader, who escaped a humiliating defeat in the first round, these four weeks can be an opportunity to galvanize his troops in the streets and find new momentum.
