Nippon Ishin no Kai faces a make-or-break situation in its birthplace of Osaka Prefecture in the upcoming House of Councilors election, as the opposition party struggles with dwindling support.
Komeito, the junior partner in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition, is also in a crucial fight in the prefectural constituency in the July 20 election for the upper chamber of parliament, as it is facing pressure from an upstart political party.
Nippon Ishin, Komeito and the Liberal Democratic Party, the dominant partner in the ruling bloc, have won the four seats of the constituency in the past three Upper House races, but the landscape could change in the upcoming poll.
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