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s the Jakarta gubernatorial election draws near, political coalitions have started to scramble to form alliances to break a deadlock over potential candidates.

The reluctance of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the largest faction in the City Council, to support Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, the incumbent governor, has forced other political parties to recalculate their plans for February’s election.

Political parties have begun to prepare for the possibility that Indonesia’s ruling party may eventually decide not to support Ahok, who has offered to follow PDI-P demands in order to secure the party’s support.

The seven political parties under the Kinship Coalition initially supported businessman Sandiaga Uno, the only apparent candidate to stand against Ahok, the frontrunner in the election. However, the Kinship Coalition is collapsing and some coalition members have declared their support for different candidates.

The three political parties in Ahok’s camp, namely the Golkar Party, the NasDem Party and the Hanura Party, are also reportedly in a state of disarray following the rumor that the PDI-P, which previously hinted at backing the governor, was preparing to form a separate camp with the NasDem Party.

The PDI-P and the NasDem Party might possibly support Surabaya Mayor Tri “Risma” Rismaharini, who is also a member of the PDI-P, with Batang Regent Yoyok Riyo Sudibyo as her running mate. But the rumor has been brushed aside by a senior politician at the NasDem Party.

“It’s not true. We are supporting Ahok,” NasDem Party Jakarta branch chairman Bestari Barus told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

“We are waiting for the PDI-P to join us in supporting Ahok. We are not making a new camp with the party,” he said.

PDI-P politicians have not responded to the Post’s request for confirmation.

The PDI-P has not issued an official statement about who it will support in the upcoming election, but party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri previously hinted that the party would end up nominating Ahok, with deputy governor and party member Djarot Saiful Hidayat as his potential running mate.

Despite signals that the PDI-P will support Ahok, political analysts have warned that since the party has not made a final word, it could unexpectedly nominate a different candidate.

“The only thing that would guarantee PDI-P support for Ahok is if he were to become a member of the party,” Paramadina University political analyst Hendri Satrio told the Post. “Until such a time, all things are possible.”

Ahok is not a member of any party. He was once a member of the Gerindra Party but left in 2014.

PDI-P politicians previously invited Ahok to register with the party so that he could receive party backing in elections.

Meanwhile, members of the Kinship Coalition have divided into at least three different factions.

The Gerindra Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) are set to nominate Sandiaga.

The United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) say they will support lawyer and former law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) has also declared its support for former coordinating maritime affairs minister Rizal Ramli. PAN, however, only has two seats on the City Council, a far cry from the 22 seats required for a party or coalition to nominate a candidate.

The only party in the coalition that has not declared a position is the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party has 10 seats on the City Council. Nachrowi Ramli, the head of the party’s Jakarta chapter, could not be reached for comment as of Wednesday night.

Ahok is the clear frontrunner in the election, with some members of the public already predicting that he will easily win the election. However, a recent survey by the Public Opinion and Discussion Group showed that 50 percent of the 400 respondents surveyed said they were not sure whether they would vote for Ahok, suggesting that the election could still be competitive.