LEFT candidate Sergio Massa won most votes in Sunday’s Argentinian presidential election in a surprise result.

Economy Minister Mr Massa, from the Union for the Homeland coalition, won around 36.7 per cent of the vote while his main rival, far-right Javier Milei of the Freedom Advances alliance, scored 30 per cent despite being widely tipped to win.

As no candidate received more than 50 per cent of the vote the two leading candidates will go to a November 19 run-off. 

Mr Massa’s first-round win came despite inflation surging to 140 per cent on his watch and the currency tanking. 

He told voters that he inherited a bad situation exacerbated by a devastating drought that decimated the country’s exports, and reassured them that the worst was past.

Mr Massa called for support from other parties for the second round.

He said: “I’m going to call for a government of national unity — a government of national unity built on the foundation of summoning the best individuals, regardless of their political affiliation.”

He also could find common interest with other long serving public servants, many of whom have bristled at Mr Milei’s candidacy.

The self-described anarcho-capitalist, who has often talked of his admiration for former US president Donald Trump, was not able to build on the level of support he secured in the primary elections two months ago.

He has called for the scrapping of the country’s Central Bank, the replacement of the Argentine peso with the US dollar, and a purge of what he calls the country’s “political caste.”

He told his supporters on Sunday night that “today is historic because two-thirds of Argentines voted for change.”

He has also cast himself as a crusader against what he calls the sinister forces of socialism at home and abroad. 

He opposes sex education, feminist policies and abortion, which is legal in Argentina. He also rejects the notion that humans have had a role in causing climate change.

In Sunday’s vote Together for Change candidate Patricia Bullrich won just under 24 per cent, Juan Schiaretti, from We do for our country, scored 7.2 per cent and the leader of the Left Front and Workers-Unity, Myriam Bregman, won 2.7 per cent.