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 the centre left headed by former Rome mayor 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%.
But Veltroni's Democratic Party (PD) was slightly ahead of Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party at 35% to 34%.
The Northern League, a populist, pro-north party allied with Berlusconi, saw its support jump from 4.6% in the 2006 election to 7%, according to the exit polls.
Italy of Values (IDV), led by former anti-graft prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro and allied with Veltroni, was also doing better than in 2006, with 4.5-5.5% compared to 2.29% in 2006.
Among the parties standing alone, former Berlusconi ally Pier Ferdinando Casini, who heads the centrist, Catholic UDC, has 5%.
The Left-Rainbow, a federation of hard-left parties and Greens led by veteran leftist Fausto Bertinotti, also has 5%.
The exit polls were released minutes after voting closed at 15:00 local time and then updated every 30 minutes.
The latest full results issued by Consortium for the House and Senate were as follows:
HOUSE (3rd set of exit poll results):
% Min % Max
BERLUSCONI'S CENTRE RIGHT:
People of Freedom (PDL) 32 36
Northern League 6 8
MpA 0.5 1.5
PDL-League-MpA total: 40 44
VELTRONI'S CENTRE LEFT:
Democratic Party (PD) 33 37
Italy of Values (IDV) 4 6
PD-IDV total: 38 42
Others: 16 20
Left-Rainbow 4 6
UDC 4 6
The Right 2 4
Socalist Party 0.5 1.5
SENATE (3rd set of exit poll results):
% Min % Max
BERLUSCONI'S CENTRE RIGHT:
People of Freedom (PDL) 32.5 36.5
Northern League 6 8
MpA 0.5 1.5
PDL-League-MpA coalition 40.5 44.5
VELTRONI'S CENTRE LEFT:
Democratic Party (PD) 33 37
Italy of Values (IDV) 3.5 5.5
PD-IDV 37.5 41.5
Others: 16 20
Left-Rainbow 4 6
UDC 4.5 6.5
The Right 1.5 3.5
Socalist Party 0.5 1.5
MpA = Movement for Autonomy, small Sicily-based ally The Right = hard-right party led by Daniela Santanche' Socialist Party = led by Enrico Boselli
