Japan’s Ruling LDP Set To Secure Lower House Majority: Exit Polls

TOKYO, Feb 8 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is set to win a majority in the House of Representatives following Sunday’s election, according to Kyodo News exit polls, clearing the way for her to remain in office.

The LDP, which has formed a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party, is poised to win at least 233 seats in the 465-member lower house, up from the 198 it held before the contest, according to the polls.

The ruling camp is projected to secure 261 seats in the powerful chamber, clearing a key hurdle to pursue its legislative agenda.

The main opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, formed in January by uniting lower-house members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Komeito, is set to lose a significant number of seats, the polls showed.

Polling stations across the nation closed at 8 pm, with snowfall in wide areas, including Tokyo, feared to have affected voter turnout.

Takaichi, who has maintained high popularity since becoming Japan’s first female prime minister last October, has pledged to “immediately resign” as Japan’s leader if the coalition fails to secure a majority in the powerful lower chamber.

Nearly 1,300 candidates are vying for the 465 seats, which consist of 289 single-seat constituencies and 176 seats allocated through proportional representation, based on votes cast in 11 regional blocks across Japan.

Early voting received a boost, with a record 27.02 million people casting their ballots in the days prior to Sunday, up around six million from the previous election in 2024.

Voter turnout stood at 26.01 per cent at 6 pm, down 2.97 percentage points from the previous race, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Japan is holding a general election in February for the first time in 36 years, a move by Takaichi that has drawn criticism as heavy snowfall in many parts of the country has made campaigning difficult.

Takaichi’s decision to abruptly call a snap election has been criticised for prioritising political considerations, as it is certain to delay parliamentary enactment of the initial budget for fiscal 2026, originally expected by the end of March ahead of the April start of the fiscal year.

She has justified the move by arguing that she has yet to receive public backing for Japan’s “major policy shifts” under her premiership, including her “responsible yet aggressive” fiscal stance and the new ruling coalition formed in October.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO