TOKYO, Jan 27: Official campaigning began across Japan on Tuesday for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks a fresh mandate to continue her economic and security policies with her Liberal Democratic Party’s new coalition ally.
Over 1,270 candidates are expected to vie for the lower house’s 465 seats in the first national contest since Takaichi took office on Oct. 21 and the LDP ended its 26-year partnership with the Komeito party and formed a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party.
The LDP-led ruling bloc is aiming to improve on the majority of 233 seats it held before the lower house was dissolved on Friday.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito formed the Centrist Reform Alliance earlier this month to take on the conservative ruling bloc.
With the ruling and opposition camps pushing to suspend or scrap the consumption tax on food amid prolonged inflation and concern about Japan’s fiscal health, securing alternative funding and deciding when to implement it are taking center stage in the campaign.
