NHK exit poll: Japan's ruling coalition to secure majority in lower house

Japan's ruling coalition of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its partner Japan Innovation Party is expected to secure a majority of seats in the House of Representatives in Sunday's general election, public broadcaster NHK said, citing its exit poll.

Based on exit polls and other analyses, the ruling bloc is projected to win between 302 and 366 seats, meeting its target of securing a majority of 233 seats, NHK said.

The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its partner Japan Innovation Party, is expected to secure between 302 and 366 seats, the polls showed, meeting its target of securing a majority of 233 seats.

Sanae Takaichi has pledged to "immediately resign" as the country's prime minister if the coalition fails to secure a majority in the 465-member lower house.

For the LDP alone, the party is expected to win its single-party majority in the powerful lower house, according to NHK projections.

A total of 1,284 candidates are vying for the 465 seats in the House of Representatives, which consist of 289 in single-seat constituencies and 176 through proportional representation in 11 regional blocks across Japan.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, voter turnout stood at 26.01 percent at 6 p.m. local time, down 2.97 percentage points from the previous election.

It marked Japan's first lower house election held in February since 1990, a decision by Takaichi that has drawn criticism because heavy snowfall in many parts of the country has made campaigning difficult.