Overview
- The Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito agreed on January 15 to form a new party to contest the upcoming House of Representatives election after months of secret contacts.
- A Jiji Press simulation based on the last general election suggests that if about 10,000 Komeito votes per district transfer, outcomes could reverse in 35 single-member districts, putting CDP at 139 and the LDP at 97 in those races.
- Senior LDP figure Itsunori Onodera acknowledged the plan could affect tight constituencies, noting the party had long relied on Komeito cooperation in elections.
- Komeito local officials and grassroots actors reported being uninformed or hesitant about backing former rivals, with some regional leaders calling single-member district support for CDP candidates difficult.
- Operational questions remain unresolved in a compressed timetable, including district-level coordination, potential unified proportional lists, and whether a new party name can gain recognition quickly.