However, technical glitches hampered their efforts to win a simple majority, a party official has claimed.

“Based on our mapping out on social media and in surveys, the popularity of Pak Ahok and Pak Djarot continues to increase. Today [Wednesday], we predict that their favorability rating stands at 51.8 percent,” PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said as quoted by kompas.com.

He was speaking at the private residence of PDI-P chariwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri in Kebagusan, South Jakarta, on Wednesday evening.

(Read also: Please allow Ahok-Djarot to continue building Jakarta: Megawati)

Hasto also said the high level of enthusiasm of Jakartans who wished to cast their vote had not been properly accommodated by the city administration and election officials.

Many voters could not exercise their right to vote on Election Day, he said.

“It was a tight competition. Definitely, all the candidates used their best strategies,” said Hasto.

“We also received reports of the massive distribution of basic commodities committed by a candidate pair. We are still investigating the matter.”

A Kompas quick count revealed that Ahok-Djarot secured 42.87 percent of the vote. Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno received 39.76 percent of the vote and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni received just 17.37 percent of the vote.

Hasto expressed his gratitude to Jakartans who voted for Ahok-Djarot. The pair’s victory is something the party should be proud of because it happened amid extraordinary pressures, he added. (ebf)