Former farm minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi resigned from the Diet Friday after coming under fire for manipulating a parliamentary vote earlier in the week.
Wakabayashi, a Liberal Democratic Party veteran, has been accused by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan for pressing the voting button Wednesday of fellow LDP lawmaker Mikio Aoki, who was absent from an Upper House plenary vote to approve NHK's budget.
Wakabayashi submitted a letter of resignation Friday morning to Satsuki Eda, president of the Upper House.