JAKARTA– Political analyst Ray Rangkuti said that in the current situation ahead of the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election, Anies Baswedan has become the favorite of political parties. This is evident from the enthusiasm of several influential political party DPDs in Jakarta supporting his candidacy in the upcoming election at the end of this year.

“Anies has indeed become the favorite of political parties to run in the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election. Given the current situation, he has a good chance of securing enough support to meet the threshold requirement of 22 Jakarta DPRD seats to participate in the election,” Ray Rangkuti said in a conversation on Sunday afternoon, June 16, 2024.

According to Ray, the substantial support also brings consequences for Anies. He will face difficulties in determining his running mate for the deputy governor (cawagub) position in the election.

“It seems that three parties, namely PKB, PDIP, and PKS, will support Anies in the election. If that happens, the negotiations over who will be his running mate will be tough.”

“Why will the negotiation to determine Anies's running mate be tough? Because each of these three parties has its bargaining power and strength. They will all propose their candidate for deputy governor to Anies. That's where the intense bargaining will occur,” Ray said.

Most importantly, Ray continued, Anies cannot simply disregard the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The party's position in Jakarta is very significant, which is somewhat different from the other two parties.

“Remember, Anies's high vote count in the last presidential election in Jakarta is closely associated with PKS. Anies cannot underestimate this party if he wants to win the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election.”

“Furthermore, if Anies cannot mediate between PKS and PDI Perjuangan, he might not be able to run. This is because PKS and PDI Perjuangan might agree on another figure. So, the Jakarta gubernatorial election battle will indeed be very interesting. Who will support whom, and who will lose support in the final round before the candidacy in August,” Ray Rangkuti emphasized.

And considering the current reality, Ray revealed, although there are no clear surveys yet, Anies's position in Jakarta remains strong. It even appears to be stronger than other gubernatorial candidates currently being discussed in public and the media.

“I feel that’s what makes figures like Ridwan Kamil hesitant to run in Jakarta. He thinks that if he runs in West Java, his chances of winning are higher compared to running against Anies in Jakarta. That's why he seems hesitant to run in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. Ridwan surely understands that the party currently pushing him to run in Jakarta saw a decline in its votes in the former capital city during the last legislative election,” he said.

Touching on the possibility of Anies agreeing to run with Kaesang, Ray said it is unlikely to happen. If it does, it would be political suicide for Anies.

“Kaesang always wants to be associated with running in the Jakarta election alongside Anies because he knows Anies's popularity is high. By mentioning Anies, Kaesang becomes more popular as he continues to be discussed,” Ray Rangkuti concluded.