Chilean presidential pre-candidate for the Social Convergence party, Gabriel Boric, celebrates his victory during the presidential primary elections in Santiago, Chile, on July 18, 2021. (JAVIER TORRES / AFP)

SANTIAGO - Presidential primaries on Sunday for Chile's left- and right-leaning coalitions upended predictions, leaving leftist former student leader Gabriel Boric and center-right upstart Sebastian Sichel as major contenders in November's general election.

The primary results pushed establishment politicians from across the political spectrum further to the fringes in Chile, instead putting forward two younger, more independent-minded politicians for the Nov 21 election to succeed right-leaning President Sebastian Pinera, who is serving his second non-consecutive term

On the left, underdog Boric, 35, a lawmaker with more moderate views who hails from the Patagonia region of far-southern Chile, garnered 60 percent of the vote in the primary, soundly defeating Communist party contender and Santiago-region Mayor Daniel Jadue.

On the right, independent Sichel, 43, a former Cabinet minister and president of Chile's Banco del Estado who sports a tattoo of a trout on his forearm and began the race as an underdog, bested conservative mayor and two-time presidential candidate Joaquin Lavin, taking 49 percent of the vote in a four-way primary.

Nearly 97 percent of the vote had been counted by 9 pm (0100 GMT).

ALSO READ: Chile begins historic election for constitutional convention

The center-left coalition that has largely dominated Chile's politics since the country's return to democracy in 1990 failed to schedule a presidential primary but is expected to put forward a candidate shortly.

The primary results pushed establishment politicians from across the political spectrum further to the fringes in Chile, instead putting forward two younger, more independent-minded politicians for the Nov 21 election to succeed right-leaning President Sebastian Pinera, who is serving his second non-consecutive term.

This picture released by Aton Chile showing Chilean presidential pre-candidate for the Let's go Chile coalition party Sebastian Sichel casting his vote during the presidential primary elections in Santiago, on July 18, 2021. (DRAGOMIR  YANKOVIC / ATON CHILE / AFP)

A constitutional convention also dominated by independents is entering the home stretch in rewriting the country's dictatorship-era constitution.

The May vote for delegates to rewrite the constitution likewise bucked expectations, with a majority of seats going to independent candidates largely from the left, many from coalitions of social groups that emerged out of protests over inequality that exploded in 2019.

READ MORE: Chile seeks charter change amid unrest

The turbulent time in Chile, the world's top copper producer, has market watchers and industry on edge, as mining, environmental and social policies play out as key issues in both the presidential race and the constitutional convention.