"Mahfud said that the decision to resign from the position was an agreement between himself and Ganjar from the beginning. "That at the right time, I will definitely submit my resignation in a proper manner. So there is no conflict between me and Mr. Ganjar," he asserted."

"Previously, presidential candidate number 3 Ganjar Pranowo suggested that his vice-presidential candidate Mahfud MD resign from his position as Minister of Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) due to participating in the 2024 elections."

"I suggest stepping back, change the rules. Including Mr. Mahfud. So we have discussed this matter with him to be fair, it would be better to step back. If the rules are to be improved, the people will definitely be happier," said Ganjar in Kendal, Central Java, Tuesday, January 23, 2024. The former Governor of Central Java explained that the involvement of public officials in the election has the potential to trigger conflicts of interest, even if it has been done carefully.

"Can we keep ourselves neutral and not use the facilities? There have been instances of people using the facilities, using transportation tools under the pretext of work visits, but there campaigns where the public can see, so we are taking that risk," he explained. It is known that among the three candidates in the 2024 Presidential Election, there are four contestants who still hold public office."

"In Candidate Pair number 1, Vice Presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) is known to still serve as the Deputy Chair of the DPR. Meanwhile, in the camp of Candidate Pair number 2, the pair Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka are each still serving as the Minister of Defense and the Mayor of Surakarta."