The nation’s second-most populous province, East Java, is turning into a fierce battleground for the upcoming presidential election, after its popular governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa threw her support behind front-runner Prabowo Subianto before meeting publicly in the province with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

With less than a month left until voting day on Feb. 14, candidates have circled back to the key battleground provinces that helped secure victory for President Jokowi in the previous two elections, while the President himself has been accused of more openly using his influence to support the candidacy of his former rival Prabowo.

Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has been on the campaign trail in East and Central Java over the past week, where his party has a large supporter base.

Similarly, vice presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar has been campaigning in East Java since Wednesday, touting himself as a homegrown champion of the province.

But it is the addition of Khofifah to Prabowo’s camp that has made the biggest splash, promising to bolster the three-time candidate’s prospects in a region known for being a stronghold of influential Muslim organization Nadhlatul Ulama (NU).

“Khofifah’s influence in East Java cannot be taken lightly,” said Surokim Abdussalam, a political science lecturer at Trunojoyo Madura University, on Friday.

“She commands a silent army of Muslim women who are loyal to her and can be mobilized at any time.”

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