One of Brazil’s largest right-wing parties, the Progressives Party, announced on Friday that it would remain neutral in the October presidential elections. This decision is a significant setback for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the leading conservative candidate in the polls, who had been attempting to recruit one of the party’s representatives as his running mate.
If this decision stands, it will prevent Senator Tereza Cristina from joining Bolsonaro’s presidential ticket as a vice-presidential candidate, despite his earlier statement to journalists on Friday that he had selected her for this role.
Impact on the election campaign
Tereza Cristina enjoys strong support among rural voters and the influential agribusiness lobby, which could significantly bolster Bolsonaro’s position in his quest for additional votes. He is currently trailing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the polls ahead of the October elections.
Senator Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, aims to broaden support for his campaign and include a woman on his election team. However, for Tereza Cristina to become his vice-presidential candidate, her party would need to officially form an alliance with Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL).
The deadline for changing party affiliation before the October elections has already passed. Earlier on Friday, Bolsonaro told journalists in Sao Paulo that Tereza Cristina had accepted his invitation to be his running mate in the elections.
Source: The Straits Times
