"Our task is to increase the party membership from 180,000 today to 250,000 to 300,000 before the end of the year, and to 400,000 next year," State Duma Deputy Vladimir Plotnikov told the 13th Congress of the Agrarian Party of Russia (APR).
He said that was necessary for the party to clear the 7%-entry barrier to the State Duma in 2007.
Plotnikov said the APR was a party of constructive opposition.
"We are open for dialogue with the ruling establishment, but we are also ready to use all legal methods of struggle," he said, adding that the APR was ready to cooperate with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and United Russia.
However, Nikolai Kharitonov, APR deputy chairman and member of the State Duma, was not so optimistic.
"We should be an independent party, but thus far we are too weak for that," he said.
