TOKYO: Over 1,170 people are currently planning to run in the Oct. 27 election for Japan’s House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the country’s parliament, exceeding the 1,051 candidates in the previous Lower House election in 2021, a Jiji Press survey showed Wednesday.
There may be more contestants for 465 seats up for grabs in the snap election, as each political party is still continuing candidate selection work.
Of the potential candidates at present, more than 1,060 are preparing for battles in 289 single-seat constituencies.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party had picked candidates in all but 11 constituencies where its coalition partner, Komeito, intends to fight on its own.
But the LDP newly decided not to issue party tickets to 12 of members who got punished for not booking kickbacks from their factions or other shady income in their political funds reports. Some such money scandal-tainted LDP members have abandoned their bids for re-election this time.
The leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party are planning to field over 200 and around 210 candidates, respectively. The two parties, which formed an electoral alliance in the previous Lower House election, will likely lock horns with each other in some 140 constituencies.
Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) is expected to issue party tickets in some 160 constituencies and the Democratic Party for the People in 40 districts, or so.
One-on-one fights between ruling and opposition parties are likely to take place in as few as around 40 constituencies.
Meanwhile, about 110 people have decided to only seek one of 176 seats available under the proportional representation system.
JIJI Press