Candidates across several French cities withdrew from municipal runoff elections to block rivals before the official deadline.Sébastien Delogu stepped down in Marseille to prevent a National Rally victory after Benoît Payan refused to merge their lists.Benoît Payan will now face Franck Allisio in a high-stakes contest after failing to reach a deal with La France Insoumise.Strategic withdrawals also occurred in Paris and Bordeaux to consolidate the vote against incumbents before Sunday's final poll.