SERGEI Mironov is the leader of the A Just Russia party, which gained 13 per cent of the vote in the December 4, 2011, State Duma election. A Just Russia is the smallest of the four parliamentary groups in the State Duma with 38 MPs.

The party was created in 2006 as a social democratic counterweight to Vladimir Putin's United Russia - allegedly on the initiative of the Kremlin.

And there can be little doubt that Mr Mironov has a track record as a Kremlin loyalist.

Like Prime Minister Putin, Mr Mironov comes from St Petersburg, and in 2000 he was Mr Putin's deputy campaign manager in the presidential elections that year.

From December 2001, he served as chairman of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, the Russian Federal Assembly.

However, he caused much bewilderment in the 2004 presidential election when he ran against the incumbent President Putin. Mr Mironov received less than one per cent of the votes. In his own words, his candidacy was a mere ‘backup’ for Mr Putin.

In May 2011, Mr Mironov was recalled from his post as Federation Council speaker. The move was initiated by United Russia, Mr Putin’s party of power.

Soon after, a stage-managed by-election ensured that he was given a seat in the lower house, the State Duma. Whatever the reason behind this move, the position has offered Mr Mironov a better chance to appear as independent.

On December 10, 2011, he was nominated by his party to run against Mr Putin in the March, 2012, presidential election. After the meeting, he told journalists that he would enter the race not to participate but to win.

While he has also said that he will be ready to debate with Mr Putin, he has declined to name what issues he will choose to place in focus.

Although Mr Mironov stands no chance of actually winning the presidency, his candidacy may prove a problem for the Kremlin. If the current wave of protests continues, he is likely to gather a substantial share of protest votes from the left, making a Putin win in the first round unlikely.