Former presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin has stepped down from his position in local government, Russian media reported Wednesday.
Nadezhdin, who earlier this year tried to mount an anti-war campaign for the 2024 Russian presidential election before election authorities barred him from running, had served as a deputy of the Dolgoprudny city council in the Moscow region.
His resignation from that position comes two days after Rosenergobank asked a Moscow court to declare the politician bankrupt, though it was not immediately clear if there was any connection.
Nadezhdin told the Telegram news channel Brief that his decision to step down from the Dolgoprudny city council was not made under pressure from external actors and that he did not have any plans to run for political office outside the Moscow region.
Some observers have speculated the politician may seek to run in the upcoming Moscow City Duma elections.
According to unverified reports citing anonymous sources close to Nadezhdin, the former presidential hopeful resigned in order to serve as an election observer during regional elections on Sept. 8. Russian law prohibits politicians from acting as observers in elections.
On Tuesday, Nadezhdin and his supporters, together with the Civic Initiative party, announced a nationwide coalition of political candidates running in the upcoming regional elections. The coalition calls for returning Russia “to the path of normal development.”
Nadezhdin’s challenge to Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election drew support from opposition figures including Yulia Navalnaya and Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
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