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Candidates named Hitler and Lenin are facing off in a small town mayoral election that has taken an unusual twist thanks to their surnames.

Hitler Alba Sanchez, who had previously been mayor of Yungar, Peru, from 2011 to 2014, is standing as the candidate for the "We Are Peru" party.

Sharing the same name as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, he's running for office under the slogan "I'm the good Hitler!"

But to become the town's mayor again he'll have to defeat a candidate called Lenin Vladimir Rodriguez Valverde.

(Image: CEN/@somosperuyungar)

Hitler claims his father had had no knowledge of the Nazi leader and had simply given him that name because it "sounded foreign".

He said that he had considered changing his name several times, but in the end had decided to respect his father's choice.

He added: "I would have felt bad."

(Image: CEN/@somosperuyungar)

Hitler said he knew nothing of his opponent, Lenin Vladimir Rodriguez Valverde, and suggested that his opponent had been chosen by his political enemies simply to create controversy.

He said: "We have always done good. People know us. And now we are coming up against this political avatar between Hitler and Lenin."

The Peruvian Hitler claimed to share none of the Nazi dictator's ideas, although he did recognise an affinity with German culture and said he liked to quote Goethe on his Facebook page.

It remains to be seen whether Hitler will triumph over Lenin in the hotly-contested political battle.