Exit polls in Spain's local elections Sunday gave the "Indignado" protest movement a possible lead in a tight race for control of Madrid and Barcelona against governing conservative parties.

A poll by TNS Demoscopia put the protest movement slightly ahead in Madrid and Barcelona, while another by GAD3 put them slightly behind but still breaking the ruling parties' majorities.

The "Indignados", who partly inspired the worldwide Occupy movement, swamped Spanish streets in 2011 in mass protests against corruption and hardship in the economic crisis.

Now they are looking to win elected office for the first time ahead of a general election due around November, which analysts say could transform Spain's political system.

The various exit polls showed the recently-formed groups tied with governing parties in the two biggest cities, without indicating an outright victory.

In the capital, protest grouping Ahora Madrid was tied with Spain's governing Popular Party (PP) and threatening to snatch away its majority, according to an exit poll by TNS Demoscopia for broadcaster TeleMadrid.

It put Ahora Madrid nominally in the lead with between 20 and 23 council seats and the PP between 19 and 22 seats.

That raised the prospect of a potentially stunning defeat of the PP in one of its strongholds by a grassroots movement formed just a few months ago with the backing of left-wing party Podemos.

Another Madrid poll by GAD3 for television channel Antena 3 showed the reverse, with the Podemos-backed group on 17-19 seats and the PP ahead on 21-23 but still without a workable majority.

In the second biggest city Barcelona, another Podemos-backed protest grouping Barcelona En Comu was tied with the ruling conservative Catalan nationalist party CiU, according to two exit polls.

GAD3 gave CiU 11-12 seats and Barcelona En Comu 10-11, while a regional television poll gave the protest party 10-12 seats with CiU on 9-11.
Source: AFP