Moscow ? President Vladimir Putin promoted his hawkish defense minister to a top government post Thursday, a move that puts Putin’s two heirs apparently on equal footing before next year’s election to replace the popular leader.

Both Sergei Ivanov and the more liberal Dmitry Medvedev have received lavish coverage in the Russian media, which is strongly influenced by the Kremlin, and are seen as the chief rivals for anointment by Putin as his favored successor in the March 2008 election.

Each man now holds the title of first vice premier, formalizing a rivalry that is never mentioned officially but is played out daily on state-run television.