Husām says that according to sources from inside the group, Muslim Brotherhood leader Muhammad Badī's decision to withdraw all 26 members of the group’s parliamentary candidates from the elections was a political move to pressure the government into guaranteeing them a fixed number of seats.

The sources also say that the decision was supported by the likes of Muhammad Sa‘d al-Katātnī, Sa‘d al-Husaynī, Muhammad Mursī, and Subhī Sālih. However, the majority (led by Muhammad al-Biltājī) opposed the decision, saying that the group’s division on the matter will inevitably result in a number of further divisions throughout the country.