Who is Lula da Silva, Brazil's new president who defeated Jair Bolsonaro?

Brazil`s Lula da Silva emerged as the country`s new president on Sunday after he defeated incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro in fierce voting which was a tight race between the two politicians. Da Silva's inauguration is scheduled to take place on January 1.

Widely known as 'Lula', the politician gained 50.83 per cent of the votes, with over 98 per cent of the votes counted in a fiercely contested run-off election on Sunday whereas his opponent Bolsonaro managed to get 49.17 per cent votes. Notably, this year`s elections allowed for the eligibility of more than 156 million people to cast their votes.

Who is Lula da Silva?

The 76-year-old Lula lifted millions out of poverty as president. He last served as president from 2003-2010. Lula lost three presidential bids from 1989 to 1998. This was his sixth presidential campaign.

It is a stunning reversal for da Silva, whose 2018 imprisonment over a corruption scandal sidelined him from the 2018 election. He was convicted for corruption and money laundering in 2017, on charges stemming from the wide-ranging 'Operation Car Wash' investigation into the state-run oil company Petrobras.

But after serving less than two years, a Supreme Court Justice annulled Lula`s conviction in March 2021, clearing the way for him to run for president for the sixth time. In 1980, he co-founded the Workers' Party, standing as its candidate for president nine years later. 

He focused his campaign on getting Bolsonaro out of the office and highlighted his past achievements throughout his campaign. His campaign promised a new tax regime that will allow for higher public spending. He has vowed to end hunger in the country, which has returned during the Bolsonaro government.

READ | Intermittent fasting, workout to Britney Spears: Know UK PM Rishi Sunak's fitness regime and diet

Earlier on October 2, CNN reported that none of the candidates could hit the 5 per cent mark needed to win in the first round. The presidential candidates also voted on Sunday as Lula cast his vote at a public school in the Sao Paulo metro Area and Bolsonaro cast his ballot in Rio de Janeiro early Sunday morning.

(With inputs from agencies)