The Liberal Democratic Party's defeat in the Lower House by-election in the Yamaguchi No. 2 district on Sunday is yet another blow to the already reeling Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Faced with this emphatic sign of weakening popular support, the ruling coalition will now try to put off the general election as long as possible, political analysts say.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, is expected to turn up the heat on Fukuda in a bid to pressure him into dissolving the Lower House for a snap election.