French left loses dozens of towns in local elections - exit poll

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists and their allies scored 42 percent of the total vote in local elections on Sunday, trailing opposition conservatives on 49 percent, a TV exit poll by survey group BVA showed.

BVA estimated that over 100 towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants would swing to conservative rule, a result that would largely wipe out Socialist gains made in the last town hall elections in 2008.