In the run-up to the election in February, the candidate for president of Indonesia, Ganjar Pranowo, is facing a formidable challenge from his competitors. However, he is placing his hopes on an aggressive grassroots effort to improve his chances of winning.

Just two months before the election on February 14, opinion polls suggest that Ganjar, an early favorite, is losing popularity. Prabowo Subianto, the minister of defense and a former general, currently holds a 20-point poll lead.

At the same time that commentators are warning of a democratic backslide and a return to old-time patronage and dynasty politics, the election that will take place in the world’s third-largest democracy in the next year is taking place.

Ganjar, who is 55 years old, claims that he is concentrating on a more meaningful, man-of-the-people campaign on social media, in contrast to Prabowo, who is 72 years old and presents an image on social media of a grandpa who is fond of cats and has a passion for Javanese dancing.

“I also have gimmicks, but believe me, I am not giving you anything cheap,” he said on Wednesday, his first interview with foreign media since launching his candidacy. “I am not giving you anything cheap,” he said.

The enthusiastic, silver-haired former governor of Papua began his campaign in the most eastern section of the island last month. Since then, he has traveled around the vast archipelago, home to more than 270 million people.

“Our strength is to keep moving, meeting people, and deploying all the resources we have,” stated the president. It was Sun Tzu who remarked that a war moves quickly. As a result, we are getting ready to do certain things that are pretty significant,” he continued, alluding to the legendary Chinese military strategist.

Over the past several days, three pollsters in Indonesia have conducted surveys that indicate Ganjar’s popularity is decreasing, and the candidate is at risk of dropping to last place behind another competitor named Anies Baswedan.

The “blusukan” or unexpected visit method that Joko Widodo used in 2014 to catapult him to the highest post in the country, making him the first leader to emerge from outside the political and military elite, has been imitated by Ganjar.

Unlike his competitors, who come from more privileged families, Ganjar’s social media posts highlight his appeal to the average person. These posts include videos of him going for a run and spending the night in residences that are more basic in the hamlet.

“THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY”
Having served as the governor of Central Java from 2013 to 2023 and as a congressman before that, Ganjar sees himself as an independent and consistent politician. His track record of almost twenty years of public service includes both of these positions.

If elected, he and his running partner, Mahfud MD, the minister of coordinating security affairs, will commit to generating 17 million new jobs, expanding social assistance, and strengthening anti-corruption measures. Additionally, they would want to achieve a growth rate of 7% in the largest economy in Southeast Asia.

“We all have the dream that Indonesia will become a country with strong economic power,” stated the president. “So, it is my job to guard this.”

Also, Ganjar has been a member of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is now in power and led by Megawati Sukarnoputri, for a very long time.

In the past, President Jokowi, who is also a member of the PDI-P, had hinted that he supported Ganjar. In fact, he had joked earlier this year that he would prefer a “silver-haired candidate.”

According to those with knowledge of the situation behind the scenes, the president had hoped that Prabowo and Ganjar might run together, but Megawati did not agree with this proposal.

In the aftermath of a subsequent court judgment that made it possible for Prabowo, the president’s son, who is 36 years old, to join Prabowo as his running partner, popular perceptions of the president’s allegiances have shifted.

Ganjar has suffered a disadvantage in opinion surveys as a result of the apparent flip made by the president, in addition to Prabowo’s growing popularity. Ganjar said that “politics” was why he felt deceived when asked about it.

He stated, “This is about Indonesia and the future of our democracy that cannot be obstructed by the intervention of state institutions,” alluding to the impending referendum and stories of critics being harassed. “This is about Indonesia and the future of our democracy,” he concluded. “This is about the public being free to say anything without worrying that officials will come after them.”