Japan's electric power industry is using its political clout to help candidates who are sympathetic to its cause win seats in the Lower House. The next general election of the Diet chamber is rumored to take place as early as this autumn.
The industry at the same time is making efforts to deprive candidates not supporting its cause of a chance to win in the election.
Its prime target is the ruling Democratic Party of Japan , which it feels has caused much hardship to it since taking over the reins of government in 2009, especially in the aftermath of the severe accidents at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, caused by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.