Several prominent candidates withdrew from the elections to the Irkutsk Legislative Assembly

The former mayor of Irkutsk, the current deputy of the legislature, Viktor Kondrashov, who ran for the Communist Party, withdrew from the elections to the Irkutsk Legislative Assembly. He was considered the main competitor of the United Russia candidate, the head of the Rostec office in the Irkutsk region, Sergei Balyaskin, in single-mandate constituency No. 5 (also registered in the regional group No. 5 as fifth on the list).

Kondrashov starred on the day of the visit to Irkutsk of the General Director of “Rostec” Sergei Chemezov. He explained his decision to the local publication Irsiti by the “incapacity” of the Communist Party faction. “I’m not on my way and not in my heart [работа с КПРФ]so I decided to quit with this story, ”said Kondrashov.

Until May 2023, the Communist Party faction in the legislature was headed by Andrei Levchenko, the son of the ex-governor of the Irkutsk region (2015–2019), first secretary of the regional party committee Sergei Levchenko. Levchenko Jr. was arrested in a criminal case of fraud on September 29, 2020, the court sentenced him to nine years in prison on July 29, 2022, then commuted the communist sentence to nine years, and on May 10, Levchenko received parole.

Levchenko Sr., now a State Duma deputy, told Vedomosti that he spoke with Kondrashov after he refused to participate in the elections, and the ex-mayor of Irkutsk “did not say anything from the text that was published literally immediately after the application was submitted” . “A very simple question: they “worked” with him so that he would make this statement [об отказе от участия в выборах] wrote. Obviously, some moments turned out to be very serious for him, ”Levchenko said.

According to a Vedomosti source close to the regional administration, Kondrashov did not want to compete with Rostec in the elections. In addition, he has long had a bad relationship with Levchenko, including due to the fact that the former red governor did not fulfill his promises at the time. The next candidate who may withdraw from the campaign, according to Vedomosti, may be communist Anton Romanov (single-mandate constituency No. 4).

However, there were other candidates who dropped out of the campaign in the Irkutsk region. Of the eight people, to some extent connected with En + and participating in the primaries of United Russia for the selection of candidates for deputies of the legislature of the Irkutsk region, only two received “passing” places, allowing them to be elected (22 wrote about the participants in the preliminary vote of Vedomosti May).

These are Evgeny Zenkin, Managing Director of PJSC Rusal Bratsk Aluminum Plant, nominated in single-mandate constituency No. 9 and in regional group No. 9 (fifth on the list), and Vladimir Smagin, Deputy General Director for Development and Government Relations of Vostsibugol, who headed regional group number 17.

Rostec and En+ are key and highly influential federal companies in the Irkutsk region, which traditionally seek to fix their presence in power in order to emphasize strength and influence, says political analyst Rostislav Turovsky. For example, in addition to Balyaskin, the acting deputy, the general director of the Irkutsk aircraft plant, Alexander Veprev, also participates in the elections, he heads the regional group No. 4.

“Governor [Игорь Кобзев] sought to create a more complex balance, taking into account the many local elite groups. Therefore, the business did not receive all the desired positions – and remained dissatisfied. Nevertheless, their tasks will be fulfilled at least in the elections, and the center will not allow the conflict to flare up, the stake has already been placed on Kobzev,” he believes.

Another candidate who has withdrawn from the elections in recent days is the mayor of Sayansk, Oleg Borovsky, who headed the regional group No. 16 from United Russia. Mayors quite often act as “locomotives” in the region. According to a Vedomosti source, Borovsky has a long-standing conflict with the Irkutsk authorities, including due to the fact that he requires increased attention, in particular financial, to the municipality.

“Under Levchenko, he reached a peak on the principle of “money in exchange for loyalty,” says the source of Vedomosti. The current government has tightened fiscal policy, he says. But such demarches should not be regarded as seriously affecting the course of the campaign.