 He was known as "the peasants' candidate", but both sides of the Romanian two-party system, the National Liberal Party and the Conservative group, accused the other of secretly supporting his bid.During such campaigns, he is said to have misled his voters into believing that he was a son of the deposed "Domnitor" Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and therefore a natural champion of land reform.His activity in Olt is credited with having sparked some violent incidents