RICH COMMUNIST IN KREMLIN RACE

Rich Communist in Kremlin race offers 'strawberry socialism'.

A debonair businessman who boasts 'million-dollar earnings, Pavel Grudinin is a surprise choice as  Russia's Communist candidate for President.

Nicknamed the ''strawberry king,'' the 57 year-old has pick-your-own-fruit farm and dairy heard on a valuable chunk of real estate on Moscow's outskirts.

With luxuriant curly grey hair, moustache and a ready smile, he is the first fresh face in years to stand for the red-flag waving party led by 73 year-old stalwart Gennady Zyuganov.

In a predictable March 18 presidential election, Grudinin will likely be runner up to President Vladimir Putin, though he lags far behind in state-run opinion polls at around 7 percent.

He appears to have all the credentials for a Communist candidate : he runs an agribusiness named after Vladimir Lenin and and has praised Stalin, to whom he bears a passing resemblance.

Yet he is not a member of the Communist party and has criticized its ''dogmas''.

Much of his wealth comes from renting and selling highly valuable land bordering Moscow ringroad to hypermarkets.

Last year his company's turnover was reported four billion rubles {$69 million}.

''My earnings over the last six years were 157 million rubles, $2.7 million. I don't earn badly,'' he told reporters.

Analysts see his role in the Kremlin scenario as boosting turnout - but he's not taking votes away from Putin.

Grudinin is willing to criticize policies but not the strongman himself.''

This is not a battle between people, it's a battle of ideologies,'' he said.

[Agencies]