Students across Russia were threatened with expulsion from their dormitories if they failed to vote in the country¡¯s presidential election, it has been claimed.

In an audio clip on YouTube and viewed more than 80,000 times, a teacher at a university in Siberia was heard telling students that ¡°this is not up for discussion, we are going to vote here¡±.

The educator at the institution in Ulan-Ude, in eastern Siberia, told students that she would ¡°drag you here by the scruff of the neck¡± if necessary, although she added that they could vote for the candidate of their choice.

The Ulan-Ude incident emerged in an audio recording published on the YouTube channel of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, the ?website said.

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Arguably Vladimir Putin¡¯s biggest challenger, Mr Navalny was barred from running because of a dubious criminal conviction and has urged Russians to boycott the vote.

Despite Mr Putin¡¯s predicted landslide victory ¨C registering about three-quarters of the vote ¨C government officials had been ordered to secure a strong turnout of about 70 per cent to give him a strong mandate amid concerns that fewer voters would reach the polls to re-elect the former KGB chief.

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The turnout was about 60 per cent, with voters offered the chance to win smartphones by voting, Politico said.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com