WI: Russia (re-)elected Communist Party instead of Putin?

I recall I saw a map on this premise in god knows which map thread. Can't really remember anything else about it.

My question is simple: Was it possible? And how would have it been different then Putin's Russia? Will Russia follow Chinese path towards Dengism?
 
Was it possible?
No.
Will Russia follow Chinese path towards Dengism?
No.

Communists could have won only in 1996, if oligarchs have a disagreement over Yeltsin, he actually dies from his heart attack, etc. After elections they lost a lot of support as Zuganov was viewed as weak after he decided not to challange Yeltsin over voter fraud.
And since they inevitably inherit the OTL 1998 crisis, they'd be voted out of power in 2000. I personally tend to think that it could have done a lot of good to Russian democracy since the transfer of power would have occurred at least twice as opposed to never OTL.
Dengism could not happen in Russia because the cheap peasant labour was spent here by Stalin in the 30's fueling his command style industrialisation. There could have been a softer turn to capitalism with party oversight in the late 60's and 70's under Kosygin, but I doubt it'd look much like todays China.
 
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