The feud between Azmin Ali and Khalid Ibrahim is an open secret and the bad blood threatens to weaken PKR.

Khalid, the Selangor menteri besar, will also be locking horns with Azmin in an attempt to unseat the latter from the post of deputy president in the upcoming party polls.

But there is also a surprise contender in the race in the form of current secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, and he is also part of an election pact which includes vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and strategy director Rafizi Ramli.

Sharing his thoughts on the battle lines drawn, DAP MP Ariff Sabri wondered if this is a move to finish off both Azmin and Khalid.

"Perhaps this was the main objective of the unfinished Kajang move agenda - to diminish both Azmin and Khalid.

"The war of attrition between both is endangering PKR and so a third person is needed," he wrote in his blog.

Ending the Mexican standoff

Expressing his admiration for Nurul and Rafizi, the Raub MP said the team was meant to show all PKR members that they should choose Saifuddin.

"Saifuddin is the solution to the Mexican standoff between Azmin and Khalid. Both should be reduced to save PKR," he added.

In response to the formation of the team, Ariff ( left ) recounted how Azmin had responded that groupings do not decide the outcome of the contest, it is direct voting by all members.

"From experience, I can say this. While that opinion may be true, in practice groupings indicate a consolidation of like-minded forces which Azmin ignores at his peril.

"Groupings can signal the call for battle formations and helped members make up their minds faster. Nurul and Rafizi are no lightweights in PKR.

"Azmin was clearly jolted by that grouping. It showed that senior and powerful PKR leaders are endorsing Saifudin and distancing both Azmin and Khalid," he added.

In his previous postings, Ariff had endorsed Azmin, saying that PKR needed a politician and not a businessman like Khalid at the helm.