Boyolali, Central Java. President Joko Widodo had an intimate moment with Governor Ganjar Pranowo of Central Java during his official trip to the province on Monday.

The president and the governor, widely perceived as a potential successor, were seen together from the morning to the evening as they visited Boyolali and Jokowi’s hometown of Solo to greet and chat with residents.

Jokowi even shared his car with Ganjar when the presidential motorcade headed to village markets in Boyolali’s mountainous districts of Cepogo and Selo.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan who accompanied the president was almost invisible to the local people who enthusiastically welcomed their leaders.

During the Boyolali trip, both men checked the prices of basic commodities ahead of Idul Fitri, the biggest national holiday in the country, at traditional markets. First in Selo, then Cepogo.

They shared jokes and had friendly conversations with traders and passers-by.

“It turns out prices of basic commodities like chilies, eggs, garlic, and chicken meat are declining ahead of the Idul Fitri Holiday. Two weeks from the holiday, I hope prices of basic commodities will remain under control,” the president tweeted.

From Boyolali, the president and his entourage continued the trip to the neighboring regency of Sukoharjo to inspect rice stocks at a major warehouse owned by the State Logistics Agency, or Bulog. 

At the warehouse, Jokowi officially launched the program to distribute free rice targeting 21.3 million low-income families countrywide. Under the program, each eligible family will receive 10 kilograms of rice per month.

Jokowi and Ganjar also visited a number of traditional markets in Solo. This time, state protocol was loosened as Jokowi’s grandson Jan Ethes Srinarendra shared the back-row seat of the president’s car with the two men.

After the Iftar dinner, Ganjar and Jokowi stood side by side while performing the Ramadan prayer at the Sheikh Al Zayed Mosque in Solo.

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