Germany's conservatives set to win election in key state - exit polls

State Minister of Construction Ina Scharrenbach and supporters of North Rhine Westfalia's Prime Minister and CDU's top candidate Hendrik Wuest react at the CDU election party after polls haven been closed for North Rhine Westfalia's (NRW) state election in Duesseldorf, Germany, May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Germany's conservatives CDU party is on track to win a regional election in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), in a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats which won the federal election last year.

An exit poll by infratest dimap and published by broadcaster ARD on Sunday put the CDU at 35.0% of the vote, while the Social Democrats scored 27.5% in Germany's most populous state.

The environmental Greens and the pro-business FDP parties won 18.5% and 5.0% respectively, meaning the Greens would be needed to build a coalition government.

Social Democratic Party (SPD) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends an election campaign rally of top candidate for North-Rhine Westphalian federal state election Thomas Kutschaty in Cologne, Germany, May 13, 2022. REUTERS/Benjamin Westhoff

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Maria Sheahan)