Opinion Polls Indicate Japan’s Ruling LDP Likely to Hold on to Power

Tokyo, Jan 30: Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is projected to secure a standalone majority in the February 8 lower house election, according to opinion polls, a result that would give Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a strong mandate and reinforce her leadership.

The LDP, which has been the dominant force in Japanese politics since its formation in 1955, has remained in power for most of the post-war era, aside from brief interruptions in the 1990s and between 2009 and 2012.

The election campaign, which began earlier this week, is being closely monitored amid uncertainty over the party’s performance without its long-time coalition partner Komeito, with whom it governed for more than two decades. The LDP is also contesting the polls without formal coordination with its current junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP).

Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, has previously held several senior cabinet positions under former leaders Shinzo Abe and Fumio Kishida.

Political analysts say her decision to dissolve the lower house and call an early election reflects growing internal pressures within the ruling party and a calculated move to consolidate authority through a renewed popular mandate.