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ctor-turned-politician Deddy Mizwar, who currently serves as West Java deputy governor, has set his heart and mind on teaming up with Bekasi Deputy Mayor Ahmad Syaikhu to contest next year’s gubernatorial race in West Java, widely regarded as a religiously conservative province.

Ahmad was named a patron of religious tolerance by four church organizations in Bekasi this year, in a city where Muslims account for almost 90 percent of the total population, and that has long been labeled as one of Indonesia’s most intolerant areas.

The decision to pair Deddy with Ahmad was made following an official endorsement from the Democratic Party, which brought enough support to field a gubernatorial ticket to the existing alliance of two Islam-affiliated parties: the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

The new alliance of the three parties secured a total of 28 councillor seats in the province, eight seats more than the mandatory minimum to field a candidate. This makes Deddy and Ahmad the first eligible pair to be nominated for the West Java election.

Deddy and Ahmad will likely compete against Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil, who is considered to be the race’s strongest gubernatorial candidate.

Unlike Deddy and Ahmad, Ridwan — who is backed by the Golkar Party, the NasDem Party, the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) — has yet to decide on a running mate.

On Thursday evening, the Democratic Party’s West Java leader met with PAN’s provincial leader and acting chairman of the PKS’s West Java office, Nur Supriyanto.

Their discussion resulted in the decision to support the Deddy-Ahmad ticket, as revealed by Supriyanto.

“It was a historic day that will determine the course of West Java’s development in the next five years,” Supriyanto said optimistically on Friday.

The Gerindra Party, which has 11 councillor seats in the country’s most populated province, initially considered teaming up with the PKS to endorse Deddy, but later withdrew from the plan after the PKS insisted on nominating Ahmad, who is a PKS cadre.

However, Supriyanto said the PKS was still open to accepting other parties into the coalition.

Mulyadi, the chairman of Gerindra’s West Java chapter, insisted that the party would not lend its support to Deddy nor Ahmad.

“I respect the [coalition’s] decision [to choose Ahmed]. However, Gerindra will stick to its decision not to support the [Deddy-Ahmed] pair,” he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Deddy will likely find a tough opponent in Ridwan.

A recent survey conducted by pollster Indo Barometer shows that both men are the top choices of 800 respondents across West Java to run in the gubernatorial election.

A similar result came from a recent poll done by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), which pointed to Ridwan as the gubernatorial candidate with the highest electability, followed by Deddy.

Three other parties — the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Gerindra Party and the Hanura Party — have yet to announce their tickets, and have until Jan. 10 to make their decision.

Only the PDI-P, which controls 20 councillor seats, can declare support for a candidate without forming a coalition.

Purwakarta Regent Dedi Mulyadi has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

Dedi is the chairman of Golkar’s West Java chapter, but the party has decided to endorse Ridwan instead.