Local elections: Tarlos holds comfortable lead over challengers

Incumbent Budapest mayor Istvan Tarlos is more popular with voters than his two closest opposition challengers combined, the daily Magyar Nemzet said on Friday, citing a fresh poll by the Nezopont research institute. According to the poll commissioned by the paper, Tarlos has the backing of 51 percent of decided voters. His main rival, Gergely Karacsony, the joint Budapest mayoral candidate of the leftist opposition parties, is supported by 43 percent of voters, while Robert Puzser, an independent candidate, is backed by 6 percent.