New Delhi, April 10 -- Istvan Varoczi, a 63-year-old entrepreneur from the small Hungarian city of Cegled, says he doesn't believe the polls that show Prime Minister Viktor Orban could lose a pivotal election on Sunday.

After 16 years in power and four straight election victories, Orban is facing an unprecedented challenge from a center-right opponent - Peter Magyar of the Tisza party - who has sought to whittle away at Orban's rural support base with months of relentless touring in the countryside.

While most polls show that many Hungarians have abandoned Orban and his Fidesz party and plan to vote for change, the long-serving prime minister remains deeply popular among large parts of Hungarian society - particularly among older voters...