UPDATE - Japan's ruling coalition unlikely to secure parliamentary majority, projections indicate

UPDATES WITH FRESH POLL PROJECTIONS BY PUBLIC BROADCASTER, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Riyaz ul Khaliq and Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan’s ruling coalition is set to lose majority in the parliament, result estimates of the snap elections showed late Sunday.

The country’s national broadcaster NHK projected that the ruling coalition “will fall short of the 233 seats needed for a majority” to form a new government.

Ishiba Shigeru, prime minister and head of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), acknowledged that the projections of voting results “indicate a difficult situation for his party.”

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is likely to make substantial gains, according to NHK’s projections. If realized, this outcome could mark a notable shift in Japanese politics, potentially ending the LDP's unbroken dominance in parliament since 2009.

A party or coalition needs 233 seats for a simple majority to form a government. The LDP, together with its coalition partner Komeito, aims to retain its majority in the 465-member House of Representatives.

More than 45,000 polling stations were set up nationwide for the approximately 105 million eligible voters.

However, voter turnout is expected to be around 53%, about 2.8% lower than the previous election, according to the daily Nikkei Asia’s estimates.

In this election, each voter casts two ballots - one for single-seat constituency candidates and another for party proportional representation. Over 1,300 candidates are competing for the 465 seats, including 289 in single-seat constituencies and 176 under proportional representation.

Ishiba, who took office on Oct. 1, has pledged to address inflation and bolster Japan’s defense capabilities. However, the LDP faces challenges amid public scrutiny over recent funding scandals.

The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is seeking to capitalize on public dissatisfaction, positioning itself as a serious contender to the ruling bloc’s longstanding dominance.