Ksenia Sobchak is the daughter of Putin's late mentor Anatoly Sobchak
Russia's It Girl Ksenia Sobchak, who plans to run for president, said Tuesday she wanted to unite voters unhappy with the current state of affairs -- but would not attack leader Vladimir Putin.
Sobchak vehemently denied her plan to run in March elections, which she announced last week, had been invented by the Kremlin to boost interest in the polls.
Holding her first news conference in a trendy theatre venue in central Moscow, Sobchak stressed that she was not a professional politician and said her programme would be developed with the help of experts and supporters during the campaign.
"I'm putting myself out there and I'm saying that I'm against what is happening in the country," she said.
Sobchak, who is the daughter of Putin's late mentor, Saint Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak, is seeking to promote herself as the choice for Russians who are "against all" candidates.
Before 2006, Russian elections used to allow voters to reject the list of candidates by ticking a box titled "against all".
"These elections should become a national referendum in which the 'against all' candidate would unite people," she said, hoping to appeal to Russians of all political leanings.
She says she needs to collect 100,000 signatures of support to be formally put on the ballot.
Sobchak reiterated her earlier promise that she would drop out of the race if top opposition leader Alexei Navalny was allowed to run.
The result of Putin's 18 years in power was a lack of freedom including free courts and free elections, she said, adding that polls should be open to all, including Navalny.
"I will try my best to get him registered," Sobchak said. "If he is registered I will remove my candidacy."
However, she would "not personally offend Putin" despite disagreeing with his policies.
Navalny has declared his intention to run for president and campaigned across Russia, mustering several mass rallies against the Kremlin despite attacks on his supporters.
Authorities say he is ineligible to put his name on the ballot due to a controversial conviction for fraud.
"What we have now are not elections, they are quasi-elections... it's an expensive show of rather low quality," Sobchak said, "but we must still try to fight."
Political analysts have said Sobchak's bid was designed by Putin's team to rekindle public interest in a dull election expected to extend the president's term to 2024.