Tokyo, Jan 29 (IANS) Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is on course to secure a majority in the House of Representatives election set to be conducted on February 8, local media reported on Thursday, citing opinion polls conducted by two media outlets.

The two opinion polls have indicated that LDP is expected to emerge strong in the elections, particularly in districts which have conservative voters in large numbers. A Nikkei survey released on Wednesday suggested that LDP will emerge victorious in over 198 seats it held before Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi dissolved the Lower House on January 23, surpassing the 233-seat threshold required for gaining majority in the 465-seat member, Japan's leading daily The Japan Times reported.

LDP candidates are leading in nearly 40 per cent of the 289 single-seat districts in Japan and dominating in Kumamoto, Yamaguchi and Tokushima prefectures. However, races remain tight in more than 150 districts, where the LDP is seeing strong competition from other political parties, according to the Nikkei poll.

The opposition Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) is projected to win less than the 167 seats it held before the dissolution of the parliament, with its totally falling below 100 seats.

Under the proportional representation system, the LDP is projected to win 70 or more seats, increasing from 59 in the previous Lower House election. Combined with the JIP, the LDP-led coalition is poised to win 261 seats, which would enable the ruling coalition to form a majority on each committee, according to The Japan Times report.

Only few CRA candidates are leading strong in single-seat districts. The party is set to get more votes in around 40 districts and has a chance to secure win in about 100, while it is projected to secure win in 40 seats through proportional representation.

Meanwhile, Yomiuri Shimbun poll suggested that LDP is likely to secure a majority in the upcoming election, with strong leads in the Chugoku and Kyushu regions. It stated that LDP could win in all seats which have strong conservation base.

The JIP, also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai, seems to remain strong in its Osaka stronghold but is struggling in the proportional representation vote. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun poll, the CRA is projected to win less number of seats than it held before the dissolution of the house, The Japan Times reported.

Prior to the dissolution, the ruling coalition had a razor-thin majority in the lower chamber and was a minority in the House of Councillors, implying that it needed support from lawmakers of opposition parties to pass the bill

On January 23, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved House of Representatives for a snap election set to be held on February 8. Takaichi's cabinet gave approval to the plan of dissolving the 465-member chamber, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

Notably, Prime Ministers in Japan can dissolve the lower house; however, it is the first time that a lower house is dissolved at the start of a regular session in six decades. Takaichi has stressed that she has decided to hold the elections as she has not yet received the support of the people for her premiership, which began in October last year.

--IANS

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