MOSCOW, January 30 (RIA Novosti) - Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov could be proposed as Gazprom board chairman to replace presidential contender Dmitry Medvedev, a high-ranking government official told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

All candidates for the post of board chairman of Russia's state-controlled natural gas monopoly must be proposed by the end of Wednesday.

First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev is expected to be elected president at the March 2 election. Publicly endorsed as his choice of successor by President Vladimir Putin, Medvedev enjoys high popularity ratings in the country.

There has been much speculation recently over who will replace Medvedev at Gazprom, whose board comprises 10 members - four representing the government, another four representing the company, and two independent members.

A popular business daily, Kommersant, said on Wednesday citing analysts that Putin could replace Medvedev after stepping down in spring. The president earlier agreed to take over Zubkov's job as premier if Medvedev wins the election.

The paper quoted a deputy head of the Institute of Social Systems think tank at Moscow State University as saying that current laws would allow Putin to become Gazrpom's board chairman.

"The Constitution bars a prime minister from running a business entity, but the position of board chairman does not imply economic activities," Dmitry Badovsky told Kommersant. "I believe he will have the right to head Gazprom."

The paper cited sources in the monopoly as saying that Medvedev will hold his last meeting with the current board on February 27.

But Badovsky suggested that Medvedev could retain the post until he is sworn in as president in May, as Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller is not allowed by law or the monopoly's charter to be head of the management committee and the board of directors simultaneously.

Gazprom's board is to approve the list of candidates on February 4 and fix a shareholders' meeting for June 27, the monopoly told the paper on Tuesday.