Jakarta. Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, has emerged as the strongest candidate for the upcoming Central Java gubernatorial election, according to a survey published on Sunday.

Unlike his father and elder brother, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Kaesang entered politics only recently when he joined the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and became its chairman last year.

He has been linked to the Jakarta gubernatorial election, but the latest poll by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) indicated that he had a better chance of winning in Central Java.

Kaesang is favored by 25.6 percent of respondents, 9.4 points ahead of former Central Java Police Chief Ahmad Luthfi, who is in second place. Former Central Java Vice Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen is in third with 13.4 percent.

Three local politicians in the top six received fewer than 10 percent of respondents' votes, LSI Executive Director Djayadi Hanan said in a video conference.

In an open question involving 21 potential candidates, Kaesang remains the most favored, with 15.9 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him.

In this scenario, Ahmad Luthfi is in second with 12.9 percent, followed by Abdul Wachid with 7.8 percent, and TV personality Raffi Ahmad with 6.8 percent.

"The survey found that the race for governor in Central Java remains very open as all potential candidates can outperform each other,” Djayadi said. “Factors such as the candidate’s popularity and the approval rating of President Jokowi could have some influence.”

The survey involved 1,200 eligible voters in Central Java, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

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