Central Java V: A PDI-P Stronghold Set to Become a 'Hell District' with Kaesang's Entry
The Central Java V electoral district is predicted to become a ‘hell constituency’ in the legislative elections (Pileg) of the 2029 general election.
Kaesang Pangarep, Chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and youngest son of Indonesia’s seventh President Joko Widodo, has just announced that he intends to run as a legislative candidate in that district.
“My plan in coming to Solo was actually only for Persis Solo, but it happened to coincide with the PSI Solo regional leadership meeting, so I announced that I will run as a candidate here,” said Kaesang while attending the PSI Solo meeting on Saturday (25/7).
The Central Java V district covers parts of the former Surakarta residency, including Solo, Boyolali, Klaten and Sukoharjo.
Over the past two terms, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and PDIP politician Puan Maharani has contested and been elected to the House through that district. In the 2024 legislative elections, the daughter of the PDIP Chairperson won 297,366 votes.
That figure made Puan the third-highest vote winner nationally among legislative candidates, behind Said Abdullah and Dedi Mulyadi, with the latter withdrawing after running in the West Java gubernatorial election.
In the 2024 legislative elections, Central Java V had a total of eight seats up for grabs. Besides Puan, the district has also been a regular home for prominent House members, most of whom have been elected for more than two terms.
In PDIP, alongside Puan there is Aria Bima, who has been elected for five consecutive terms in 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024, and Rahmad Handoyo, who has served three terms since 2014.
Other notable names include Adik Sasongko (Gerindra), Singgih Januratmoko (Golkar), Abdul Kharis Almasyhari (PKS), Muhammad Hatta (PAN) and Mohammad Toha (PKB).
With Kaesang’s arrival, Central Java V will not only become a hell constituency but also a star-studded battleground, as it will feature two children of presidents.
Contacted separately, Singgih, who was elected to represent Golkar, admitted that competition in his district will become increasingly fierce. PDIP currently holds three seats from the district.
For that reason, he said, Central Java V has long been known as the Bull’s home turf. However, he believes Kaesang’s presence will make the contest even tighter.
“The 2029 race will be very tough, especially with Mas Kaesang running in District V. On top of that, there is Mrs Puan,” he said.