Kyodo News Michio Ochi, a former chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission, is likely to suffer a crushing defeat in Sunday's House of Representatives election, early returns show.
Ochi, 71, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, is expected to be beaten by Koki Ishii of the Democratic Party of Japan in the Tokyo No. 6 single-seat constituency, returns indicate.
However, there is still a chance for Ochi to be re-elected as a Lower House member, since he is also listed in the LDP's proportional representation list for the Tokyo district.
He resigned as FRC chief in late February over remarks apparently indicating his intention to intervene to help banks get more lenient audits.