Grozny residents considered the candidates' election campaign to be sluggish.

Preparation for the elections to the Grozny City Duma is not accompanied by candidate campaigning, residents reported. According to analysts, no real competition is expected in these elections.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", from September 18 to 20, elections for the head of the region, deputies of the local parliament, and municipal campaigns will take place in Chechnya, where 41 deputy mandates will be filled. In particular, elections for deputies of the Grozny City Duma will be held. Details are collected in the report "Caucasian Knot" "Election campaign in the North Caucasus Federal District and Southern Federal District in 2026".

Residents did not notice signs of candidate campaigning for the City Duma

On September 9, Grozny residents told a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that they had not seen any signs of campaigning for the City Duma elections.

"We did not see any campaigning or posters. We do not know the candidates [...]. Even if they exist, we have not seen their names," said one of the residents on the condition of anonymity. He added that he has "not the slightest idea" who among the current deputies represents his district in the City Duma.

There are no posters or campaigning on the streets, and nothing is said on television either.

Another Grozny resident, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that there is no visible campaigning for the City Duma deputy candidates. "There are no posters or campaigning on the streets, and nothing is said on television either," he said.

Both Grozny residents expressed the opinion that the deputies do not solve the residents' problems. "Although there is a problem that I would like to see resolved: that at least the laws of the Russian Federation are observed," noted one of them. The other mentioned that he had approached the City Duma deputies, but to no avail. "Issues were not resolved, as the deputies always referred to the fact that everything is [managed] from above and that they do not decide anything," he said.

No real competition is expected in the elections to the Grozny City Duma

The elections to the Grozny City Duma will be low-competitive, analysts interviewed by the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" believe. "I am not aware of any electoral activity in the Chechen Republic and Grozny, as there is no such activity," stated political scientist Ruslan Kutaev (included in the register of foreign agents).

It is impossible to talk about competitive elections in Chechnya, believes political scientist Sergey Zhavoronkov. "There are no independent branches of opposition parties in Chechnya - these are all Kadyrov's people, and these branches, no matter what they are called, are branches of the Kadyrov administration," he stated.

They will be low-competitive, or rather, not competitive at all.

It is pointless to talk about real elections in Chechnya now, believes the head of the committee "Civic Assistance" (an organization included in the register of foreign agents) Svetlana Gannushkina (included in the register of foreign agents).

"It would be pointless to talk about any real elections in Chechnya now. They will be low-competitive, or rather, not competitive at all. If we talk about the participation of the LDPR [in the City Duma elections], it is an attempt to create an illusion of diversity, or rather variety," she stated.

In Gannushkina's opinion, no serious issues, such as power supply interruptions, will be raised by the City Duma candidates. "No serious topics will be discussed in connection with these elections," she said.

It should be noted that analysts do not expect real political competition in the upcoming elections for the head of Chechnya either: the participation of two "technical" candidates is needed only to demonstrate a formal alternative to Ramzan Kadyrov.

Of the last three votes, in which Ramzan Kadyrov retained the position of head of Chechnya, two were direct elections. In 2021, Kadyrov, according to official data, received 99.7% of the votes. In 2016, his official result was 97.94%. In 2011, direct elections were not held: all deputies of the People's Assembly of Chechnya supported Kadyrov's reappointment for a new term, meaning he was voted for by 100% of the participating deputies.