With polls showing that the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito ruling coalition could possibly lose its majority in Sunday’s Lower House election, speculation is growing over what would happen afterward — and whether a third party would have to be brought in to form a government.
A total of 233 seats are needed in the 465-seat chamber for a majority. When it was dissolved on Oct. 9, the LDP held 256 seats and Komeito 32, for a total of 288. But the public backlash over an LDP-centered slush funds scandal has put the ruling bloc’s 55 seat majority in jeopardy.
A poll earlier this week by the Asahi Shimbun daily suggested the final tally for both parties could be less than 233 seats, prompting questions over what would happen next in such a scenario.
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