Signs of revolt against Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are beginning to emerge within his Liberal Democratic Party after its humiliating defeat in Sunday's general election.

"The magma is building up. It won't end like this," a veteran LDP member said, warning of a possible movement among party members to oust Ishiba from power.

After the ruling camp of the LDP and Komeito fell short of a majority in the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, many LDP members are calling on Ishiba, the party's president, to take the blame for the poor result.

Amid the lingering shock of the defeat, disgruntled members are not yet ready to take any coordinated action. But a wave of calls may arise within the party urging Ishiba to step down, ahead of the Diet votes to elect prime minister during a special Diet session likely to be convened Nov. 11.

LDP members are also increasingly critical of Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama, who has power over party affairs in general, further strengthening the difficulty confronting the Ishiba administration.

"First, how the party executive team will evaluate the result of the latest election? That's the starting point," former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi told reporters in the city of Chiba on Tuesday when asked about the responsibility of Ishiba and other party executives.

On Monday, Ishiba expressed his intention to stay in office, saying that "stagnation of national politics cannot be tolerated." He also chose to keep Moriyama in his current post.

Ishiba is said to have expressed his reluctance to accept a resignation offer from Shinjiro Koizumi as chairman of the LDP's Election Strategy Committee, citing concern about a possible increase in demands for party executives to take responsibility.

The ruling camp missed Ishiba's goal of securing a Lower House majority, which was not a difficult target, but he declined to resign.

"I can't stand it if he does not resign," said Yoshitaka Sakurada, who heads the LDP's Chiba prefectural chapter. He is among the regional branch members who have voiced such frustration.

"Isn't he making light of the result of the election, held to seek a popular mandate of the Ishiba administration?" said a social media post by Kimi Onoda, who sits in the House of Councilors, the upper chamber.

Advice from Moriyama is believed to have influenced Ishiba's decision to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election just after he took office Oct. 1, breaking his campaign promise made in the LDP's presidential election in September.

Moriyama is also said to be the person who decided to provide ¥20 million ($130,000) each to the local party branches of candidates banned from running as LDP candidates for their involvement in the party's slush fund scandal. The issue, uncovered in a media report last week, is widely viewed as a major factor behind the LDP's general election defeat.

"It's clear that Moriyama is the 'culprit' this time," an indignant middle-ranking LDP member said.

In the party, the presence of lawmakers from the faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which was generally unfriendly to Ishiba, has clearly decreased because many lost seats in Sunday's election, particularly those deeply involved in the fund scandal.

At a meeting on Tuesday, however, many Upper House lawmakers from the Abe faction, which has decided to disband, expressed dissatisfaction with Ishiba ahead of an Upper House election next summer.

The party executive team must do something before the Diet election of prime minister, an LDP member who once held a ministerial post said, suggesting that the team needs to provide thorough explanations about the Lower House election result to party members.