Yoshihide Suga became prime minister because he was able to secure the support of the most powerful formal faction leaders in the Liberal Democratic Party, whose members voted for him over rivals Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba, who also lead their own factions. But behind that support from top formal factions are smaller informal groups of supporters of Suga — who is not a member of any faction himself — that helped propel him to become the nation's leader.
Which Diet groups have long backed Suga?
One such group is called the Ganesha no Kai, Ganesha being one of the best-known Hindu deities who is worshipped for good fortune in business and is said to be, among other things, a problem-solver. This group consists of 15 Lower House members, all of whom have served in the Diet for four terms or less.