Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto has urged his former running mate in the 2019 presidential election, Sandiaga Uno, to reconsider his plan to join the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP).

Member of Gerindra’s central board Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said Prabowo was intent on keeping Sandiaga within the party and that the party had a plan for him if the tourism and creative economy minister decided to stay.

"Pak Prabowo [questioned] for Pak Sandi's own good, has he thought the decision through," Dasco told reporters on Monday.

In recent weeks, Sandiaga has joined a number of events staged by the PPP prompting speculation that he would join the party ahead of the 2024 presidential election. 

Sandiaga is expected to run as president in the 2024 presidential election but he does not anticipate that he would be on a ticket proposed by Gerindra as the party has already nominated Prabowo.

A number of senior Gerindra politicians have said Sandiaga was free to move to other political parties considering that the party would only allow one candidate to run as president.

Sandiaga was a running mate to Prabowo in the 2019 presidential election and was in political limbo for more than a year after the election was over. He was appointed tourism and creative economy minister in 2020.

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