Bolshoi ballerina from Putin's party quits over portrayal as sex-object

London, Feb 4 (ANI): A Bolshoi ballerina who belonged to Vladimir Putin's United Russia has quit because she is fed of the dishonest politicians using her glamorous image for political purposes.

Anastasia Volochkova, a 35-year-old prima ballerina, said she was upset that she had been used as a poster girl for the party and had been duped into endorsing things she did not believe in.

"It turned out that they (the United Russia party) were simply using me the whole time," the Telegraph quoted her as saying in her online blog.

"My beach photo shoot caused serious dissatisfaction in the party ranks. 'How is this possible! A member of United Russia suddenly getting her breasts out!' the old biddies in the party screamed," she wrote.

She accused the party members of using her image to bring some glamour to otherwise dull political events but they had done nothing to help her create a network of schools to teach young children arts such as ballet.

Volochkova added that she had been cheated into denouncing jailed oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky in 2005. She said her name had been added to the signatories without her having even read it.

Party officials played down her departure, putting it down to "female capriciousness." (ANI)