Social Studies

Agus Machfud Fauzi¹✉ , Novi Fitia Maliha² , Pambudi Handoyo³ , Eufrasia Kartika Hanindraputri⁴ , Suyatno Ladiqi⁵

https://doi.org/10.53754/xzzh8v16

Abstract

The phenomenon of the santri community and the choice of regional head candidates in local politics in Indonesia displays heterogeneous dynamics across regions. In the 2024 regional elections, Gus Barra, son of KH. Asep Saifuddin Chalim won the contest in Mojokerto, while Bu Nyai Munjidah, daughter of the late KH. A. Wahab Chasbullah, lost in Jombang despite having a strong religious pedigree. Both had the capital to win their second terms as incumbents, but the final results differed. This study aims to explain why the charisma and branding of their parents as kiai produced different electoral outcomes in these two santri regions, thereby contradicting the general understanding that santri communities are homogeneous and contributing to the literature on local Islamic democracy and the sociology of religious politics in Southeast Asia. This article uses a comparative qualitative method, drawing on interviews with political elites and Islamic boarding school figures, local media analysis, and KPU data. Weberian charisma and political agency theories are used to interpret the role of santri communities as active actors in the local democratic process, negotiating political choices. The research results show that victory or defeat is not solely determined by religious capital as the primary factor, but is also influenced by gender factors, political patronage, political campaigns, branding, and fragmented support from Islamic boarding schools. In conclusion, the santri community possesses dynamic, context-specific political agency that cannot be equated across regions.

Keywords: santri community religious charisma political agency patronage politics electoral competition

References

1. Afisa, A., Qodir, Z., Habibullah, A., & Sugiharto, U. (2024). Analysis of the ITE Law on Digital Rights and Democratic Values in Indonesia. The Journal of Society and Media, 8(2), 424–444. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v8n2.p424-444
2. Aliandu, K. (2025, February 1). Organisasi Kepala Desa dan Perangkat Desa Jadi Basis Utama Calon Bupati Mojokerto. Radar Mojokerto. https://radarmojokerto.jawapos.com/mojokerto/825585639/organisasi-kepala-desa-dan-perangkat-desa-jadi-basis-utama-calon-bupati-mojokerto
3. Amir Mahmud & Dewien Nabielah Agustin. (2025). The Influence of “Santri Identification” on the Choice of Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates Based on Religion in the 2024 Presidential Election. Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law, 1(2), 130–143. https://doi.org/10.64595/jrlpl.261
4. Amrillah, R. & Novi Fitia Maliha. (2025). Social Construction of Sedarum Village Community on Money Politics in Village Head Elections. Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law, 1(3), 170–181. https://doi.org/10.64595/jrlpl.275
5. Anjeli, M., Imawan, D. R., & Triphanie Obligar. (2025). Participation and Perception of Generation Z of Menganti Villages in the Regional Election Campaign on Social Media. Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law, 1(2), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.64595/jrlpl.204
6. Arifinsyah, A., Ryandi, R., & Manshuruddin, M. (2019). Pesantren Religious Paradigm: Aqeedah, Plurality, and Jihad. The Journal of Society and Media, 3(2), 278. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v3n2.p278-298
7. Aris, R. S. (2020, November 23). Gus Barra Sambangi Relawan Baret yang Jadi Korban Pembacokan. BANGSAONLINE.Com. https://www.bangsaonline.com/berita/83677/gus-barra-sambangi-relawan-baret-yang-jadi-korban-pembacokan
8. Aspinall, E., Rohman, N., Hamdi, A. Z., Rubaidi, & Triantini, Z. E. (2017). VOTE BUYING IN INDONESIA: CANDIDATE STRATEGIES, MARKET LOGIC AND EFFECTIVENESS. Journal of East Asian Studies, 17(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1017/jea.2016.31
9. Aspinall, E., & Sukmajati, M. (Eds.). (2018). Electoral Dynamics in Indonesia: Money Politics, Patronage and Clientelism at the Grassroots. NUS Press Pte Ltd. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1xxzz2
10. Azizah, N., Nkwede, J. O., & Armoyu, M. (2021). The octopus-like power of Pesantren dynasty in the dynamics of local politics. Cogent Social Sciences, 7(1), 1962056. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.1962056
11. Badan Pengawas Pemilihan Umum. (2024, October 29). Bawaslu ingatkan kepala desa untuk jaga netralitas dalam pemilihan. https://www.bawaslu.go.id/id/berita/bawaslu-ingatkan-kepala-desa-untuk-jaga-netralitas-dalam-pemilihan
12. Berenschot, W. (2018). The political economy of clientelism: A comparative study of Indonesia’s patronage democracy. Comparative Political Studies, 51(12), 1563–1593. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414018758756
13. Brenner, S. (2011). Private moralities in the public sphere: Democratization, Islam, and the pornography bill in Indonesia. American Anthropologist, 113(3), 478–490. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2011.01336.x
14. Budianto, E. E. (2024a, August 30). Pertarungan 2 Kiai di Balik Pilbup Mojokerto 2024. detikJatim. https://www.detik.com/jatim/pilkada/d-7517505/pertarungan-2-kiai-di-balik-pilbup-mojokerto-2024
15. Budianto, E. E. (2024b, October 7). Bawaslu Register Dugaan Kepala SDN Jombang Fasilitasi Kampanye Petahana. detikJatim. https://www.detik.com/jatim/pilkada/d-7575861/bawaslu-register-dugaan-kepala-sdn-jombang-fasilitasi-kampanye-petahana
16. Bulya, B., & Izzati, S. (2024). Indonesia’s Digital Literacy as a Challenge for Democracy in the Digital Age. The Journal of Society and Media, 8(2), 640–661. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v8n2.p640-661
17. Chusna, A. (2023, January 16). Ke Jakarta, sejumlah kades di Jombang aksi damai minta perpanjangan masa jabatan. ANTARA News Jawa Timur. https://jatim.antaranews.com/berita/672735/ke-jakarta-sejumlah-kades-di-jombang-aksi-damai-minta-perpanjangan-masa-jabatan
18. Fealy, G., & Bush, R. (2014). The political decline of traditional ulama in Indonesia: The state, umat and the Jakarta Charter. Asian Journal of Social Science, 42(5), 536–560. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685314-04205004
19. Hadiz, V. R. (2016). Islamic populism in Indonesia and the Middle East. Cambridge University Press.
20. Ilmiyah, N. B. (2024). Dari Bu Nyai menjadi Bupati Mundjidah Wahab dalam Pilkada Kabupaten Jombang 2018. Avatara: Jurnal Pendidikan Sejarah, 15(5). https://ejournal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/avatara/article/view/65074
21. Infopol.co.id. (2020, November 21). Luar Biasa! Rapatkan Barisan Baret Bekisar Adakan Liwetan Massal Tiap Hari di 18 Desa. https://www.infopol.co.id/2020/11/luar-biasa-rapatkan-barisan-baret.html
22. Jatimpos.co. (2023, March 28). Kiai Asep Mohon Dukungan Bekisar, Putranya Jadi Bupati dan DPR RI. Jatimpos.Co. https://www.jatimpos.co/politik/11534-kiai-asep-mohon-dukungan-bekisar-putranya-jadi-bupati-dan-dpr-ri
23. KabarJombang.com. (2022, October 11). Sempat Dibahas di Sidang Paripurna Dewan, Bupati Mundjidah Ungkap Kebijakan Bantuan Seragam Gratis. KabarJombang.Com.
24. Komisi Pemilihan Umum Kabupaten Jombang. (2024). Keputusan Komisi Pemilihan Umum Kabupaten Jombang Nomor 1485 Tahun 2024 tentang Penetapan Hasil Pemilihan Bupati dan Wakil Bupati Kabupaten Jombang Tahun 2024. https://jdih.kpu.go.id/kepkpukabkot/download/118155
25. Komisi Pemilihan Umum Kabupaten Mojokerto. (2024). Keputusan Komisi Pemilihan Umum Kabupaten Mojokerto Nomor 2353 Tahun 2024 tentang Penetapan Hasil Pemilihan Bupati dan Wakil Bupati Kabupaten Mojokerto Tahun 2024. https://jdih.kpu.go.id/kepkpukabkot/download/118139
26. Lestari, D. P., Sa’niyah, J., Wahib, M., Garijati Arkiang, R., Budianto, L., & Lesmana, C. I. (2024a). ELECTIONS AND THE ECONOMY OF ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS. JPSDa: Jurnal Perbankan Syariah Darussalam, 4(2), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.30739/jpsda.v4i2.3219
27. Lestari, D. P., Sa’niyah, J., Wahib, M., Garijati Arkiang, R., Budianto, L., & Lesmana, C. I. (2024b). ELECTIONS AND THE ECONOMY OF ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS. JPSDa: Jurnal Perbankan Syariah Darussalam, 4(2), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.30739/jpsda.v4i2.3219
28. M NASTAIN, ZULY QODIR, 1, & 1. (2024). Public Perception of Islamic Political Parties Ahead of the 2024 General Elections in Indonesia. International Journal of Religious and Cultural Studies (IJRAH). https://www.ukm.my/ijrah/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Public-Perception-of-Islamic-Political-Parties-Ahead-of-the-2024-General-Elections-in-Indonesia1.pdf
29. Masruri Mahali, W. S. (2019). Kyai-Santri Relationship in Electoral Politics: A Critical Point of View. Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan : Kajian Ilmu Pemerintahan Dan Politik Daerah, 4(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.24905/jip.4.2.2019.75-89
30. Megananta, J. R., & Fauzi, A. M. (2022). Kediri Government Policy Before Year End Holiday Middle of The Covid-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Law and Society (IJLS), 1(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.59683/ijls.v1i1.1
31. Mietzner, M. (2013). Money, power, and ideology: Political parties in post-authoritarian Indonesia. National University of Singapore Press [u.a.].
32. Mutiullah, M. Y. N. (2024). Religion and Politics in Indonesia: The Role of Kyai in the 2024 Election, Case Study on Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB). Afkaruna: Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Studies, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.18196/afkaruna.v20i1.18527
33. Nadhif Muhammad Mumtaz, Alghani, E. M., & Doli Witro. (2024). Educational Policy Analysis: Examining Pesantren Policies and Their Implications on the Independence of Kyai and Pesantren in the Contemporary Era. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(2), 287–306. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i2.9612
34. Rahma, A. (2025a, March 12). AFCO, H Agung Wicaksono, dan H Warsubi Serahkan Sedekah Ramadhan untuk Masyarakat Jombang, Merata di Semua Desa. NU Online Jombang. https://jombang.nu.or.id/ekonomi/afco-h-agung-wicaksono-dan-h-warsubi-serahkan-sedekah-ramadhan-untuk-masyarakat-jombang-merata-di-semua-desa-H06Fx
35. Rahma, A. (2025b, March 21). Berbagi Kebahagiaan di Bulan Ramadhan, Bupati Jombang dan AFCO Group Santuni 1000 Anak Yatim. NU Online Jombang. https://jombang.nu.or.id/daerah/berbagi-kebahagiaan-di-bulan-ramadhan-bupati-jombang-dan-afco-group-santuni-1000-anak-yatim-72SLb
36. Rismawan, M. R. P. & Albert E. Barona. (2025). Public Trust in Sidoarjo After The Corruption Case Gus Muhdlor is Facing in 2024. Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law, 1(3), 156–169. https://doi.org/10.64595/jrlpl.258
37. Sellametha Alika Permata Gunaeri & Najwa Fadhilatul Khusna. (2025). The Influence of Public Debate on Political Awareness and Voter Rationality in the Rembang Regional Election. Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law, 1(2), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.64595/jrlpl.200
38. Siswanto, A., . S., & Zuber, A. (2022). Political Influence of Kiai on Santri’s Voting Behavior at the 2019 Election. KnE Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i19.12429
39. Sumantri, A. (2024, September 21). Survei Pilkada Jombang: Elektabilitas Warsubi-Salmanudin Capai 53,9%. MetroTV News. https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/KYVCDvdR-survei-pilkada-jombang-elektabilitas-warsubi-salmanudin-capai-53-9
40. Supriatma, A. M. (2025). Indonesia’s Political Volunteer Organizations: Patronage Brokers, Political Parties and Loyalists (Trends in Southeast Asia). ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TRS3_25.pdf
41. Times Surabaya. (2024, March 4). Raih Suara Terbanyak, Putra KH Asep Saifuddin Chalim Dipastikan Mulus Melenggang ke Senayan. Times Surabaya. https://surabaya.times.co.id/news/berita/pscxupur6x/raih-suara-terbanyak-putra-kh-asep-saifuddin-chalim-dipastikan-mulus-melenggang-ke-senayan
42. van Klinken, G., Törnquist, O., Webster, N., & Stokke, K. (2009). Patronage Democracy in Provincial Indonesia. In Rethinking Popular Representation (pp. 141–159). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230102095_8
43. Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology. Vol. 2 (Nachdr.). Univ. of California Press.
44. White, S., Warburton, E., Pramashavira, Hendrawan, A., & Aspinall, E. (2024). Voting against Women: Political Patriarchy, Islam, and Representation in Indonesia. Politics & Gender, 20(2), 391–421. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X23000648
45. Yani, M. T., Mahfud, C., Rangga Sa’adillah, S. A. P., Bustami, M. R., Maskuri, & Taufiq, A. (2022). Advancing the discourse of Muslim politics in Indonesia: A study on political orientation of Kiai as religious elites in Nahdlatul Ulama. Heliyon, 8(12), e12218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12218

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2025 Agus Machfud Fauzi Fauzi, Novi Fitia Maliha, Pambudi Handoyo, Eufrasia Kartika Hanindraputri, Suyatno Ladiqi

Indexing & Citations