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PDI-P unworried about losing Jokowi’s grassroots supporters in the 2024 race
The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) says that it is not worried about losing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s grassroots votes for the 2024 presidential and legislative elections.
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The logo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is displayed during the opening ceremony of the fifth PDI-P congress in Sanur, Bali, in August 2019. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono )
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he ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) says that it is not worried about losing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s grassroots votes for the 2024 presidential and legislative elections.
This came after an inaugural convention of potential rival alliance the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) on Saturday, where it hinted at nominating popular governors outside the coalition, including one from the PDI-P – Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo. The event was also attended by Budi Arie Setiadi, head of Jokowi’s biggest supporter group Projo, which has backed Jokowi since before his first-term presidency, in an apparent gesture of window shopping to find Jokowi’s successor.
In a rally hosted by Projo late last month, Jokowi told his supporters to not rush into declaring which prospective candidates they would endorse for the 2024 race, while hinting his support for a particular presidential candidate he said was also present in the rally. Jokowi did not mention Ganjar's name but speculation was rife that the person in question was Ganjar, the only prospective candidate attending the rally. Ganjar's name was also cheered several times by Jokowi's supporters during the rally.
Tensions have been brewing among PDI-P members as two high-profile members – Ganjar and House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani – tacitly compete for the party’s nomination to follow in the footsteps of outgoing President Jokowi and become Indonesia’s next leader.
Read also: Ganjar’s popularity irks PDI-P elites
Several party members have launched attacks on the popular governor, stating him as being kemlinthi (Javanese for arrogant) for not toeing the party line and accusing him of strategically building a supporter base on social media to pursue his own political interest over the party.
PDI-P lawmaker Trimedya Panjaitan also questioned Ganjar's track record as a lawmaker in the past and as the governor of Central Java.
