Exit polls at the end of Italy's two-day general election on Monday showed the centre right led by twice-premier Silvio Berlusconi holding a slight lead over his main adversary, the centre-left's Walter Veltroni.
The polls, carried out by research group Consortium for state broadcaster RAI and SKY satellite TV, showed Berlusconi's alliance winning the House with 42% compared to Veltroni's 40% and the Senate by 42.5% over 39.5%.
Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party and Veltroni's Democratic Party (PD) were by far the biggest parties.
The polls were released minutes after voting closed at 15:00 local time and then updated 30 minutes later.
The latest full results issued by Consortium for the House were as follows:
% Min % Max
BERLUSCONI'S CENTRE RIGHT:
PDL 32 36
Northern League 6 8
MpA 0.5 1.5
PDL-League-MpA coalition 40 44
VELTRONI'S CENTRE LEFT:
PD 33 37
IDV 4 6
PD-IDV 38 42
Others: 16 20
The Right 2 4
Left-Rainbow 3.5 5.5
UDC 4.5 6.5
Socalist Party 0.5 1.5
PDL = People of Freedom party headed by Berlusconi MpA = Movement for Autonomy, small Sicily-based ally
PD = Democratic Party headed by Veltroni IDV = Italy of Values, a PD ally led by Antonio Di Pietro
The Right = hard-right party led by Daniela Santanche' Left-Rainbow = leftists and Greens led by Fausto Bertinotti UDC = centrist, Catholic party led by Pier Ferdinando Casini
