Jakarta. The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), announced on Monday that it has requested Bobby Nasution, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's son-in-law, to relinquish his party membership. This decision came after Bobby publicly declared his support for the rival presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto.

Bobby, an executive within the PDI-P and the current mayor of Medan, had sought to maintain his party membership while also aligning himself with the Prabowo campaign team. However, this was deemed unfeasible because the PDI-P had already nominated former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

"He requested permission to join the Prabowo campaign but refused to leave the party," Komarudin Watubun, the head of the PDI-P's Honor Council, said in a news conference. "I replied, 'No, you can't do both’, as members of this family should not compete against each other."

Komarudin's statement followed a closed-door meeting with Bobby at the PDI-P headquarters in Jakarta. He reiterated the party's stance, aligning with Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri's principle that a member "cannot have one foot in, one foot out."

Since the PDI-P has already decided to nominate Ganjar and his running mate, Mohammad Mahfud MD, Komarudin said that all party executives “must utilize all available resources to ensure their victory".

Nonetheless, Komarudin revealed that Bobby was given a three-day window to decide between remaining with the party and supporting Ganjar or switching to the Prabowo camp.

Bobby is the second member of the Jokowi family who has come into conflict with the ruling party. The president's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, joined Prabowo as his running mate, effectively ending his PDI-P membership.

It's no secret that there is a growing disconnect between President Jokowi and the PDI-P. The party played a pivotal role in Jokowi's political career, aiding in his victories in the mayoral election in Solo, the gubernatorial election in Jakarta, and his consecutive wins in the last two presidential elections.

Before Gibran's confirmation as Prabowo's running mate, Jokowi's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, a former businessman, ventured into politics by joining the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). He was swiftly appointed as chairman by acclamation.

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