Moscow: Despite his crackdown on protesters seeking his removal, Russian strongman Vladimir Putin remains the front runner among the candidates for the March 4 presidency polls, with 49 percent of respondents ready to vote for him, according to a public survey.

"Gennady Zyuganov (11 per cent) is still in second place, Vladimir Zhirinovsky (9 per cent) is in third. He is followed by Sergei Mironov (6 per cent) and Mikhail Prokhorov (4 percent)," the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center said today, placing the Russian Prime Minster, ahead of his rivals. The number of respondents willing to vote for Prokhorov doubled in one week. Also Mironov received two percent more potential votes. Putin, on the other hand, lost three per cent of potential votes, the Ria Novosti reported.
Putin will have to garner a minimum of 51 per cent in order to avoid a runoff.
Russia`s presidential elections are slated for March 4, and Putin is seen as the most likely winner. The other four registered candidates are moderate social democratic leader Sergei Mironov, populist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, communist leader Gennady Zyuganov and independent billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
Thousands of people had protested here against a tainted parliamentary election last December. The protests were suppressed by the security forces.
PTI