Jokowi-Ganjar Intimacy Does Not Affect Megawati's Decision To Choose Presidential Candidate From PDIP

President Joko Widodo and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo/Instagram

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo's intimacy with the Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo during a working visit to a number of areas in Central Java was highlighted.

Many people speculate that Jokowi will support Ganjar as his successor in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Moreover, both of them are PDIP cadres. Although PDIP has signaled Puan Maharani to move forward, it is undeniable that Ganjar's electability is the highest. In response, political observer Dedi Kurnia Syah said Jokowi is indeed closer to Ganjar despite his capacity as regional head.

"Reading Jokowi's primordial relationship tends to be closer to Ganjar and has repeatedly been active in Central Java including Ganjar," said Dedi when contacted, Thursday, January 6. "Even though Ganjar, as governor, has an obligation to accompany the president during his visits," he continued. Even so, the Executive Director of Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) reminded that in the eyes of PDIP Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri, Jokowi and Ganjar were only party officials.

Megawati seems to be choosing her daughter, Puan Maharani, to run for the 2024 presidential election. Moreover, Puan's billboards and plastic staples have appeared.

Because of that, Dedi assessed that Jokowi and Ganjar's closeness only had the opportunity to influence voters in the 2024 presidential election. Jokowi's vote could be transferred to Ganjar, but not to carry him.

"In the context of PDIP, Megawati is still far more influential than Jokowi," he concluded. News of Jokowi and Ganjar's close relationship resurfaced after the two of them mingled on social media. Initially, when President Joko Widodo was scheduled to make a working visit to a number of locations in Central Java, he had uploaded a photo on his Instagram account, @Jokowi. The former governor of DKI Jakarta was seen bending over while holding the laces of his right shoe. On the left side of Jokowi was the Minister of Cabinet, Pramono Anung and on the right and behind him were a number of TNI/Polri officers Jokowi also wrote a sentence in the upload, "Tighten your shoelaces, before going far. This morning I went to Central Java for a working visit to Sragen, Grobogan, Blora, and Semarang," Jokowi wrote.

The post was then commented on by the Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo and shared on his Twitter page. He said he was waiting for President Jokowi's presence in his area.

"Ready, I'm waiting for you sir in Central Java," wrote Ganjar Pranowo while commenting on Jokowi's upload from Twitter @ganjarpranowo, Wednesday, January 5, 2022.