Political rebel and leader of the controversial NHK Kara Kokumin o Mamoru To (Party to Protect the People from NHK) Takashi Tachibana announced Tuesday that he plans to step down as an Upper House lawmaker — for now.

Tachibana said he plans to run in a by-election for an Upper House seat in Saitama Prefecture, with the official campaign period starting Thursday. The voting day is Oct. 27.

The sudden announcement appears to be a strategic move for the party, given that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has no plans to field a candidate there — leaving smaller, weaker parties with a higher chance of winning the seat.