The Social Democrats, the party of Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, have narrowly seen off a challenge by the far-Right AfD party in the eastern state of Brandenburg, early results suggest.

Victory, according to preliminary results, will be a major relief to Mr Scholz, the least popular German chancellor on record whose coalition is facing a struggle to hold onto power.

The results are also a blow to the AfD, which was polling high and predicted to win another state after a surge in support tied to its anti-immigration policies.

Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin like a doughnut, had been won by the Social Democrats (SPD) in every election since Germany’s reunification in 1990 and is one of its two remaining eastern strongholds.

Although one of the smallest states by population, the vote is considered significant for the whole country and a strong indication of the mood of voters.

Around 2.2 million people aged over 16 are eligible to vote in Brandenburg, including around 100,000 first-time voters.

A recent survey in the state found that immigration was the top concern for many voters.

The decade-old AfD party has stoked and capitalised on public fears about irregular migration after a string of recent extremist attacks with suspected Islamist motives.

On Sept 1, AfD made historic gains in former communist East Germany, becoming the strongest party in Thuringia where it secured roughly 33 per cent of the vote.

In neighbouring Saxony, it emerged in a close second with 30 per cent, narrowly losing to the centre-Right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).