Paris, March 28 (Reuters): The French Left defeated the Conservative government of President Jacques Chirac in the decisive round of regional elections today, exit polls showed, as voters voiced discontent with economic reforms.

An exit poll by the CSA polling group showed mainstream Leftist parties won 50 per cent of the vote, compared with about 37 per cent in the last regional vote in 1998.

Polling group TNS Sofres put the Left’s share of the vote at 49 per cent.