Brazil's Lula could beat Bolsonaro in first-round 2022 vote, poll shows

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Sao Bernardo do Campo near Sao Paulo, Brazil March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's former leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could beat President Jair Bolsonaro in a first-round vote if the 2022 election were held today, according to a new opinion poll.

The survey by pollster Inteligencia em Pesquisa e Consultoria (IPEC), published on Friday in newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, showed 49% of respondents backing Lula compared with just 23% for Bolsonaro.