Democratic Party of Japan leader Naoto Kan on Wednesday criticized the Liberal Democratic Party for depending heavily on New Komeito to stay in power.
"The LDP and New Komeito have become one merged new party, haven't they?" Kan asked Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during question time at the Diet session.
He said some LDP candidates called on voters to cast ballots for New Komeito in proportional representation districts in the Lower House general election in November to win the coalition partner's support in their own single-seat constituencies.
"The LDP lawmakers who obtained support from New Komeito have now become way too sensitive to the partner's opinions (when working out policies), and the LDP may no longer stand on its own feet," Kan told Koizumi.