DPJ set to win over 300 seats in general election

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The Democratic Party of Japan looks set to secure over 300 seats out of a total of 480 in the upcoming House of Representatives general election on August 30. The outcome would represent an overall majority that would effectively oust the ruling Liberal Democratic Party from power, the news agency Kyodo News said on Sunday.

The LDP seems set to lose its hold on government as the ruling party,a position it has held for almost a half century. The number of seats it holds in the lower house could be reduced to slightly over 100, down from the 303 it held heading into the campaign following the dissolution of the powerful lower house on July 21. The campaign for the August 30 House of Representatives election officially kicked off Tuesday, with a total of 1,374 candidates filing to run.

The LDP is fielding a total of 326 candidates, while the DPJ is putting up a combined 330. It is the first time that the number of DPJ candidates has surpassed that of LDP candidates in a general election.