Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party United Russia won nearly 50 per cent votes, but this is way short of the 64 per cent it had in the outgoing State Duma. This means the iconic Russian leader, with whom some degree of voter fatigue seems to have set in after his eight-year stint as the nation’s President and the last four as Prime Minister, cannot any more dictate the course in Parliament and change laws and rules as he pleases. But it would be a brave analyst who would stick his neck out and say Mr Putin would be shown the door in the coming election for President, which he is all set to contest.
The election result indicates that United Russia can negotiate terms with the Communist Party, the second largest group in the House with 20 per cent votes, to form a viable coalition. At any rate, parties other than United Russia — all of which made gains at the expense of the party Mr Putin created — are unlikely to strike a deal to form a government. They are ideologically riven — from Communist to ultra-nationalist bordering on fascist. For the West, especially the United States, which watches Russian developments closely, an election result such as this can offer little comfort. None of those likely to be in the next government is expected to yield on key issues such as missile defence, or Russia’s national concerns vis-à-vis aspiring breakaway republics. However, its policy in relation to India should remain steady.