Jakarta. Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is leading in the pivotal battleground provinces of West and East Java which collectively have more than 67 million registered voters, according to a poll released on Thursday.

His rivals, former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan maintain a narrow lead in the provinces they used to lead.

The survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia found that in West Java, home to over 50 million people and boasting 35.7 million registered voters, Prabowo secured the support of 55.9 percent of respondents. In contrast, Anies and Ganjar garnered 25.7 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively.

East Java, the country’s second-most populous province with 31.4 million registered voters, also saw Prabowo leading with 48.2 percent, compared to 24.5 percent for Ganjar and 21.7 percent for Anies.

Ganjar has maintained his lead in Central Java and neighboring Yogyakarta, receiving 45.4 percent of respondents' votes, followed by Prabowo (38.8 percent) and Anies (10.2 percent).

Anies, on the other hand, takes a narrow lead in Jakarta, where he is favored by 38.2 percent of respondents, compared with 36.9 percent for Prabowo and 20.7 percent for Ganjar.

The survey, conducted from December 30 to January 6 in 13 key provinces, involved 1,200 eligible voters. 

"In late 2023, the level of support for Prabowo and running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka strengthened, while Anies and Muhaimin Iskandar saw minimal changes in electability, and Ganjar and Mohammad Mahfud experienced a declining trend," Indikator's lead researcher Burhanuddin Muhtadi said in Jakarta.

Prabowo, who was defeated in the last two presidential elections, gained significant momentum after announcing Gibran, the son of President Joko Widodo, as his running mate in October. 

Burhanuddin highlighted that around half of voters approving the president's performance are likely to cast their votes for Prabowo in the upcoming February 14 election.

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