Putin's United Russia party enjoyed structural advantages which gave them more money and air time than opposition parties (photo courtesy Golos)

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party lost more ground than anticipated in Russia's parliamentary elections on Sunday, exit polls suggested.

Two polls showed United Russia winning between 45 and 49 percent of the vote. This is down from just over 64 percent in 2007. 

This was a blow to Putin, who has been preparing to resume the presidency next year, Reuters reports. While Putin was forced to hand the role to Dmitry Medvedev in 2008 after he served the maximum of two consecutive terms, the United Russia party used its two-thirds majority in parliament to alter the constitution without support from opposition parties. 

Critics claimed the United Russia vote is inflated and the drop in numbers constituted a referendum on the governing party. United Russia has 315 seats out of 450 in the outgoing Duma, Russia's lower parliamentary house. They are expected to lose 75 seats, the New York Times reports.

United Russia enjoyed the support of authorities which granted them money and television air time, according to Time. There were also allegations of ballot-stuffing. The most vocal opposition parties were not allowed to run. 

Discontent has been growing in Russia over wealth disparities and the Internet has given them a forum to express their frustrations. The Communist party has benefited most from United Russia's unpopularity, with early returns showing them winning as much as 20 percent of the vote, up from 12 in 2007, CBS reports. 

Cyber-hackers attacked election watchdog websites, including Golos, which was recently fined for posting complaints about election corruption. In Moscow, several journalists, including an Associated Press photographer, were held briefly after taking pictures at a polling station. 

According to Businessweek:

Russia placed 143rd of 182 surveyed countries in Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index. Russia is the world’s most corrupt major economy, with higher levels of graft than in Pakistan, Cameroon and Niger.

During Putin’s first two terms as president, he worked to centralize power and increase state ownership of the country’s biggest companies. Buffeted by a booming global economy, Russia’s economic growth averaged 7 percent a year during his 2000-2008 tenure.

Gross domestic product of the world’s biggest energy exporter will increase 4.1 percent this year after 4 percent last year, the government estimates.

“Of course popular discontent is boiling over but Putin will continue to keep power in his hands,” said Mikhail Kasyanov, a former prime minister under Putin who is now an opposition figure.

Despite the drop in support, Putin is still expected to be elected president in March, the Guardian reports.