Italy's center-left Democratic Party (PD) was poised to narrowly hold on to power in the northern Emilia-Romagna region, according to an exit poll late on Sunday, in the first of two key regional votes held on the peninsular, Eurasia Diary reports citing Deutsche Welle.
PD candidate Stefano Bonaccini was on course for victory, winning roughly 50% of the vote, against 45% for League party candidate Lucia Borgonzoni, exit polls suggested.
If confirmed, it would dash the hopes of League's populist leader Matteo Salvini — who was hoping to seize the left stronghold and rattle the country's coalition government enough to pave the way for his return to power.
Emotionally charged campaigns in both parts of the country led to a particularly high turnout, with Italian media reporting earlier in the day that it was up 23% in the wealthy region of Emilia-Romagna and 10% in Calabria in the south.
PD's candidate in Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, is the incumbent president who hoped to win on his track record in the region that boasts low unemployment figures and is home to "Made in Italy" success stories such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.
An election loss for PD would have shattered the left-wing stronghold in the region that the party has held since the end of World War II.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte previously dismissed fears that a League win would lead to a government crisis, saying the election concerns the region alone and has no bearing on the country as a whole.