Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: JAPAN’S former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi was elected leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a vote on October 4. She is set to become the first female Prime Minister of Japan on October 15.
Takaichi received 185 votes, while Koizumi garnered 156 in a runoff after none of the five candidates in the party leadership race secured a majority in the initial round of voting, according to local media reports.
In the first round of the election, Takaichi secured the lead with a total of 183 votes, which included 64 from party lawmakers and 119 from rankand-file members. Koizumi followed closely behind with 164 votes, The Japan Times, reported. Along with Sanae Takaichi, the contenders were former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and Takayuki Kobayashi.
All five also ran in last year’s election, which saw a record nine candidates.
