Japan's LDP-Komeito bloc to win in general election

An election official unlocks a ballot box at a counting centre in Tokyo, December 14, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO - Japan's Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP) and its small partner the Komeito Party were expected to win two thirds of the seats in the 475-seat lower house in Sunday's election and the LDP alone could gain over 300 seats, exit polls showed.

The LDP-Komeito bloc was confirmed to have secured 246 seats immediately after the closure of the general election voting here at 8 pm as the vote counting continues, according to local reports.

The victory will give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a third term as the country's leader through 2018.

The LDP's election chief Toshimitsu Motegi said while he has noticed the results of the exit polls, the party will remain vigilant as the vote counting has just started.

He said the LDP told voters in their election campaigns that economic recovery is the only way forward and the Abenomics, Abe's economic policies mix, is the only way forward. "We have received good response from the voters," he said.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), has secured 36 seats as of now and a DPJ official the party could not file enough candidates to secure the majority as it is a snap election, adding the party and other opposition parties have had some cooperation in a bid to curb the LDP-Komeito bloc from securing the majority.

Another opposition party, the Japan Innovation Party, has secured 23 seats as of now.