Kyodo News Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori would not need to step down even if the Liberal Democratic Party fails to attain a target of 229 Lower House seats set by the party's No. 2 leader, Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki said Sunday night.

"Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori would not need to resign even if the LDP falls short of 229 seats, " Aoki, the top government spokesman, told reporters.

The goal of 229 seats was set by LDP Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka.