By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) -After coming second in the Brandenburg state vote on Sunday and winning the Thuringia state election this month, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party now commands a blocking minority in two regions.

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germans in the state of Brandenburg were voting in a regional election on Sunday with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) expected to finish first, building on successes in other eastern states and beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in one of their traditional strongholds.

Germany's Social Democrats won in the eastern state of Brandenburg, pushing out the far-right AfD in a tightly contested race.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is predicted to come first in an election in Brandenburg on Sunday, seeking to build on gains in other eastern states this month and beat Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in a traditional stronghold.

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germans in the state of Brandenburg were voting in a regional election on Sunday with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) expected to finish first, building on successes in other eastern states and beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in one of their traditional strongholds.

Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats held off the far-right Alternative for Germany and look set to cling on to power in the eastern state of Brandenburg, sparing the chancellor and his party another embarrassing electoral setback.

The narrow win by Olaf Scholz’s party came in a state election, the third in a series that was seen as a reflection of the national mood and a snapshot of the government’s popularity.

Following AfD’s victory in Thuringia, race in one of smallest German states in terms of population becomes focus of attention