BERLIN: Germany's eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party surged to win 10 percent or more of the vote in two states on Sunday and will now have seats in three eastern German state assemblies, according to TV exit polls.

The AfD, a rival to the right of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), won 10 percent of the vote in Thuringia and 12 percent in Brandenburg, according to polls announced after voting ended at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT)

The party, which was founded in early 2013 to oppose euro zone bailouts, won a shock 9.7 percent in an election in Saxony two weeks ago on a campaign that is now also heavily focused on law and order.

In Thuringia, Merkel's CDU won 34.5 percent but it is unclear if they will stay in power.

Their junior coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), which won 12.5 percent, may switch to support the Left party, which won 28 percent, in a coalition with the Greens, which won 5.5 percent.

In Brandenburg, the SPD won 32.5 percent and looks likely to continue its coalition with the Left party, which won 19 percent. Merkel's CDU won 22 percent.