It takes more than a political storm to shake Anies Baswedan.

Less than two years after being dismissed from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s Cabinet, the former education minister has returned to the political scene as Jakarta’s governor-elect.

The path to his political revival was not easy; it was practically a leap of faith.

The former Paramadina University rector, who had been known as a moderate Muslim, joined the government’s opposition coalition and made allies with conservative Muslim groups to earn a ticket in the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

While his efforts have paid off, they have placed him on the opposing side of Jokowi, whom he supported during the 2014 presidential election.

The President is slated to inaugurate Anies and his deputy Sandiaga Uno at the State Palace on Monday afternoon, cementing the fact that one of the most strategic public office’s in the country is now in the hands of opposition parties.

“I consider myself a brave man. One thing’s for sure, I feel people’s struggles in various forms. Everyone contributes. Twentythree pledges; not just merely programs. These are promises that must be fulfilled,” Anies addressed his supporters during a gathering held by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Sunday.

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