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A broad left-wing coalition in France is leading the legislative election, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrists and the far right with no group winning an absolute majority, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (July 7) citing exit poll projections. 

Projections by four leading polling firms said that the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance was on course to have 172-215 MPs with Macron's alliance on 150-180 seats and the far-right National Rally (RN) on 115-155.

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According to interior ministry figures, 59.71 per cent of the electorate had taken part in the elections till 5 pm and three more hours to go.

Here's a look at the latest updates from the elections:

> Counting of votes has started in rural areas where ballots have closed already.

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Also read | Emmanuel Macron: From a banker to the youngest President of France

> President Macron called the elections three years ahead of time after his forces were trounced in June's European parliament vote, a gamble which seems to have backfired.

> In the first round of the elections, far-right leader Marine Le Pen's RN party came on top and is on course to repeat the feat in Sunday's run-off races.

> If the exit polls turn out to be true, Parliament would be left divided into three big groups with hugely different platforms and no tradition at all of working together.

> French voters have punished Macron and his ruling alliance for a cost of living crisis and failing public services, as well as over immigration and security.

> Le Pen and her party have successfully tapped into those grievances, spreading their appeal way beyond their traditional strongholds along the Mediterranean coast and in the country's northern rust belt, a report by the news agency Reuters said. 

> However, the left-wing alliance managed to edge them out of the first spot.

(With inputs from agencies)