French left loses dozens of towns in local elections: exit poll

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists and their allies scored 42 percent of the total vote in local elections on Sunday, trailing opposition conservatives on 49 percent, a TV exit poll by survey group BVA showed. BVA estimated that over 100 towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants would swing to conservative rule, a result that would largely wipe out Socialist gains made in the last town hall elections in 2008. The National Front, which fielded candidates in a minority of municipalities across France, scored a total nine percent of the vote in the second-round run-offs, BVA estimated. (Reporting by Yves Clarisse; editing by Mark John)