KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Incumbent Padang Rengas Umno division chief Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz may join other Cabinet ministers from Perak in winning their party posts without contest after one challenger pulled out while another was reportedly disqualified.

Datuk Jamal Nasir Rasdi, one of the two challengers gunning for Nazri’s (picture) spot, confirmed that he has decided not to go for the division’s top post.

“After consulting with friends and party members, I opted to withdraw from the race to avoid a split in the party or create problems in the division,” he was reported as saying in the New Sunday Times (NST) today.

The former Lubuk Merbau assemblyman said he withdrew his nomination during the 72-hour cooling-off period, which ended on September 24.

The weekend edition of the New Straits Times also reported that another challenger, Shahidan Yussof, was disqualified from the contest for failing to fulfil requirements laid down by the election committee.

“He is disqualified from contesting, but so far, I am not sure on what grounds,” a source form the Padang Rengas division told the NST.

The newspaper reported, however, that Shahidan’s disqualification can only be confirmed once party officials announce the final list of candidates for the Umno elections tomorrow.

Besides Nazri, who is also the tourism and culture minister, the Tambun and Bagan Datoh Umno division chief’s posts had been won unopposed by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, respectively, during nomination day on September 21.

Divisional and the supreme council elections will be held on October 19 while the Wanita, Youth and Puteri polls will be held on October 12.