Indonesian presidential candidate Joko Widodo appeared to have regained momentum ahead of tomorrow’s election, with his poll numbers rebounding after a sharp drop.

The governor of Jakarta polled 51 percent compared to 43.4 percent for his rival, former general Prabowo Subianto, according to a new survey released late yesterday.

Nearly 6 percent of the 1,250 respondents were undecided, according to Sugeng Sarjadi School of Government (SSSG), a private pollster.

“Jokowi’s electability is rebounding thanks to his solid performance during the presidential debates,” SSSG executive director Fadjroel Rachman said, using Joko’s nickname.

Another new poll, released by the Indonesian Survey Circle, put Joko’s popularity at 47.8 percent over Prabowo’s 44.2 percent, suggesting a tight race.

Joko’s poll lead over Prabowo was as high as 30 percent earlier this year, but it evaporated as Prabowo mounted a slick and aggressive campaign.

Meanwhile, Joko used the three-day ‘cooling period’ ahead of the election to perform a minor Haj pilgrimage, known as umrah, to Saudi Arabia.

Local television showed Joko praying with thousands of other Muslims near the Kaaba, the cuboid building at the centre of Islam’s holiest site in Mecca.

The pilgrimage appeared to be an attempt to dispel rumours that he was a closet ethnic Chinese Christian and communist.

Joko was a little-known local politician before he joined the race to become Jakarta governor in 2012.

Prabowo, who once was married to a daughter of the late dictator Suharto, is seen as representing the elite old guard.

- dpa