Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigrant Northern League said on Tuesday he supported mayoral candidates from the anti-establishment Five Star movement in run-offs taking place in Rome and in the northwestern city of Turin.
"If someone asks for my advice, I tell them to change - change those who have governed Rome and Turin badly."
"So never vote for someone of the [ruling] Democratic Party. Put the Five-Star movement to the test," Salvini said.
The Five Star candidate Virginia Raggi is the clear front-runner in Rome's mayoral race after she polled 10 percent more votes than her rival, Roberto Giachetti , from the centre-left Democratic Party of Italy's premier Matteo Renzi.
In Turin, incumbent centre-left mayor Piero Fassino appeared to be on track for re-election after he took over 10 percent more votes than the Five-Star movement's Chiara Appendino who will face him in the 19 June run-off.
The Democratic Party won the biggest share of votes in 1,000 out of around 1,300 town halls in local elections across Italy on Sunday.
Run-offs are being held in cities with over 15,000 inhabitants.
Rome has been under special administration since last October when its centre-left mayor Ignazio Marino was force out of office over an expenses scandal.
