SAO PAULO (AP) — The Brazilian presidential candidate hand-picked by jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is the main target of other hopefuls in his first debate on TV.

Left-leaning Fernando Haddad has risen to second place in the polls in less than three weeks.

Right-leaning candidates Geraldo Alckmin and Henrique Meirelles were the most acid during the first part of the TV Aparecida debate Thursday.

Alckmin said Haddad's candidacy was announced in front of a prison and Meirelles blamed Haddad's Workers' Party for Brazil's high unemployment rate and struggling economy.

Haddad promised to bring economic growth back.

Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro leads the polls but is still recovering in a hospital after being stabbed Sept. 6.

The first round of Brazil's presidential election will be Oct. 8.