Democratic Party leader Renho is leaning toward replacing Secretary-General Yoshihiko Noda after the main opposition party's lackluster showing in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, a party lawmaker said Thursday.

The former prime minister voiced his desire to step down to his aides after the July 2 contest and has not changed his mind. This has left Renho no alternative but to consider his decision final, the lawmaker said.

No successor has been named yet, but acting leader Jun Azumi is gaining support from some quarters of the party, the lawmaker said.

Noda has been secretary-general since after Renho won the party leadership election last September. His planned resignation is an apparent bid to prevent Renho from being forced to quit to take responsibility for the Tokyo election results.

The party won just five seats in the election for the 127-seat metropolitan assembly, down from its pre-election strength of seven, to arrive at an all-time low, even during its previous incarnation as the Democratic Party of Japan.