ASTRAKHAN, April 16 - RAPSI. Astrakhan's Kirovsky District Court accepted on Monday a petition filed by former Astrakhan mayoral candidate Oleg Shein to invalidate the elections.

Shein submitted a video record and paper documents allegedly revealing violations during the elections. The judge is expected to study them today.

United Russia representative Mikhail Stolyarov won Astrakhan's mayoral elections on March 6 securing 60 percent of the vote. Just Russia's candidate Oleg Shein was second having gained a little less than 30 percent.

Shein challenged the election results, saying that the vote counting was falsified. He consequently went on a hunger strike with his supporters on March 16 to show his protest against the elections.