(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, MAR 9 - The German Greens on Sunday beat Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU in a state poll, exit polls showed, marking a blow for the chancellor ahead of elections this year as polls show the far right surging. Almost 32 percent of voters opted for the Greens led by Cem Ozdemir, according to exit polls by broadcasters ARD and ZDF, edging out the CDU with around 30 percent. Updated exit polls for both broadcasters showed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) almost doubling its result compared with 2021 elections, taking third place with about 18 percent of the vote. Some in the CDU might be hoping that the Green's lead evaporates as results roll in through the night. But the gap between the two was larger than that in polls ahead of the vote and CDU leader Manuel Hagel told ZDF that the Greens were clearly in the driving seat. "If this proves to be the actual result, then the Greens will be tasked with forming a government," he said, adding "the ball is in their court". Baden-Wuerttemberg's neighbour, Rhineland-Pfalz, votes in a couple of weeks and September will see a series of regional votes in ex-communist eastern Germany, where the AfD can expect to perform well. (ANSA-AFP).