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Italy PM Renzi heading for heavy referendum defeat - exit polls

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi speaks during the last rally for a "Yes" vote in the upcoming referendum about constitutional reform, in Florence, Italy, December 2, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has suffered a heavy defeat on Sunday in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution, according to exit polls. Renzi has said he would resign if Italians rejected his plan to reduce the role of the upper house Senate and claw back powers from regional authorities. He is due to address the nation at around midnight (2300 GMT). An exit poll by the Piepoli Institute/IPR for state television station RAI, estimated those voting 'Yes' to back the reform at 42-46 percent, compared with 54-58 percent for 'No'. Two other polls -- by Tecne' for privately owned TV channel Mediaset, by EMG Acqua for La 7 -- gave 'No' a similar lead of at least 10 points. Voting ended at 11 p.m. The same agencies will give projections of the result based on the actual vote count at regular intervals of around 30 minutes, with the first projection due before midnight. (Reporting By Gavin Jones, editing by Mark Bendeich)