The three politicians currently leading the nation’s opinion polls are intensifying their efforts to boost their electability, embarking on so-called political safaris to meet with notable figures and rallying supporters roughly nine months before voters cast their ballots on Feb. 14, 2024.

Fresh from his formal nomination on Kartini Day as the presidential candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has been meeting with influential clerics of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia.

Among the NU figures he has met with so far are Ahmad Mustofa “Gus Mus” Bisri on May 3 and Abdul Qodir Assegaf on May 10, both based on Central Java. 

While the organization has stated that it would avoid taking part in practical politics ahead of the 2024 general election, the PDI-P is reportedly considering several NU figures as Ganjar’s running mate.

This emulates the strategy of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, a PDI-P member, who picked senior NU cleric Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate in his ultimately successful 2019 reelection bid.

For his part, the Vice President said on Wednesday that NU had plenty of capable figures within its ranks.

“I’m [from NU], and I’ve done well as vice president,” Ma’ruf said during a visit to Bali, as quoted by Kompas.

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