Jakarta. Renowned singer and lawmaker Krisdayanti made a surprising announcement on Thursday evening, revealing her decision to withdraw from the mayoral race in Batu, East Java, despite being officially endorsed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

In an Instagram post, Krisdayanti apologized to Batu voters and PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri for her abrupt decision, though she did not provide specific reasons for her withdrawal.

Her announcement came just hours after the PDI-P released its official list of mayoral, regent, and gubernatorial candidates for the upcoming November 27 elections, which included Krisdayanti. The party had endorsed her candidacy as early as July 30.

Krisdayanti had been slated to run with Kresna Dewanata Phrosakh from the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) as her running mate in the mayoral race.

"With all sincerity, I apologize to the PDI-P, Madame Chairwoman, and the people of Batu for my decision not to run in the Batu mayoral election," she wrote in her Instagram post.

Her statement sharply contrasted with remarks she had made earlier in the day during a podcast interview with host Eddy Wijaya, where she expressed her readiness for the race, calling her candidacy a "blessing from God."

Born in Batu, Krisdayanti left the town for Jakarta at the age of nine with her mother. Reflecting on her journey during the podcast, she said, "I never imagined my path would bring me back to Batu in such a special way – as a mayoral candidate in my hometown."

In the same interview, Krisdayanti also outlined her development plans for Batu, should she have been elected, with a focus on promoting the town's natural heritage and enhancing its tourism potential.

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