Central Java V: A PDI-P Stronghold Set to Become a 'Hell District' with Kaesang's Entry

The electoral district (Dapil) of Central Java V is predicted to become a ‘hell district’ in the 2029 legislative election (Pileg). The Chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and youngest son of the seventh President of the Republic of Indonesia, Kaesang Pangarep, has just announced his intention to run as a legislative candidate in this district. ‘I actually planned to come to Solo just for Persis Solo, but it coincided with the Solo City DPD coordination meeting, so I just announced that I will be a candidate here,’ Kaesang said while attending the PSI Solo coordination meeting on Saturday (25/7). Central Java V covers several areas in the Surakarta residency, including Solo, Boyolali, Klaten, and Sukoharjo. In the last two terms, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and PDI-P politician, Puan Maharani, ran and was elected as a member of parliament from this district. In the 2024 Pileg, the daughter of the PDI-P Chairperson garnered 297,366 votes, placing her as the third highest vote-getting legislative candidate nationally, behind Said Abdullah and Dedi Mulyadi, the latter of whom later resigned to run in the West Java regional election. In the 2024 Pileg, Central Java V contested eight seats. Besides Puan, the district is a regular haunt for senior members of parliament, many of whom have been elected for more than two terms. From PDI-P, besides Puan, there is Aria Bima, who has been elected for five consecutive terms since 2004, and Rahmad Handoyo, who has served three terms since 2014. Other notable figures include Adik Sasongko (Gerindra), Singgih Januratmoko (Golkar), Abdul Kharis Almasyhari (PKS), Muhammad Hatta (PAN), and Mohammad Toha (PKB). With Kaesang’s entry, Central Java V is set to become not only a ‘hell district’ but also a ‘star war’ district, featuring two children of presidents. Contacted separately, Singgih, who was elected representing Golkar, acknowledged that competition in his district will be increasingly fierce. PDI-P currently holds three seats from the district. He noted that Central Java V has long been known as a PDI-P stronghold, but Kaesang’s presence will intensify the contest. ‘The competition in 2029 will be very tough, especially with Mas Kaesang running in District V, in addition to Bu Puan,’ he said.