Pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia researcher Burhanuddin Muhtadi said the blasphemy controversy that burst into public view last year had significantly damaged Ahok's electability. The latest survey commissioned by his pollster found that 57 percent of respondents agreed the non-active governor had committed blasphemy. Only 27 percent of respondents disagreed with the accusation while the remaining 15-16 percent respondents said they did not know the answer.

“This has cost Ahok in terms of electability," Burhanuddin said on Friday.

The survey also showed most of the respondents who agreed that Ahok had committed blasphemy would vote for another candidate, Anies Baswedan.

However, the pollster considered Ahok was still the frontrunner in the upcoming election because many voters were likely to vote for him on the basis of his record as governor.

(Read also: Agus likely defeated in first round, poll shows)

Burhanuddin further said the two candidate debates held up to that point by the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) had harmed the electability of Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono because he and his running mate Sylviana Murni failed to put in satisfying performances.

Held between Feb. 2 and Feb. 8, the survey found 44 percent of respondents were of an opinion that the debates were "very important" for them in determining how they would vote. Meanwhile, 43 percent believed the debates were "quite important".

"These two events might be the reason why Anies has enjoyed increased electability," he said. (ebf)

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