After his return to Romania, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was still noted for his political activities, although these shifted to the background during his "Ileana" years. According to some reports, he spent some of his free time touring the countryside, rallying up peasants, inciting them to rebel, and mapping out a radical land reform. During the general election of 1899, he ran for a deputy seat in both Olt and Ilfov, without registering success. There was confusion as to Bogdan-Pitești's political affiliation. 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.