Exit polls: Germany's far-right AfD leads in Saxony-Anhalt election

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set for a clear victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, but an unprecedented governing majority for the far-right party remains uncertain.

Initial exit polls by broadcasters ARD and ZDF show the AfD winning Sunday's election with around 44% of the vote, far ahead of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) at 18.5%.

The AfD has never participated in a ruling coalition in Germany's 16 states or its federal government, as all other mainstream parties refuse to work with it, a policy infamously known as the "firewall."

Under charismatic lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD is hoping to bypass the firewall in Saxony-Anhalt by securing an absolute majority of seats in the state parliament in Magdeburg, allowing it to become the first far-right party to govern a German state since World War II. 

The exit polls suggest a trio of left-wing parties - The Left, the Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD) - have comfortably passed the 5% threshold needed to win seats in parliament, with first projections based on partial vote counts expected shortly.

The populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) could emerge as a kingmaker, with the party hovering close to 5% in the exit polls.