In a devastating blow to ruling coalition partner Komeito, Keiichi Ishii, who was elected party president just one month ago, failed to secure a seat in parliament ¡ª creating a leadership crisis for the party and questions about its future direction.

Ishii, who did not stand for proportional representation, fell short in his bid to win a Saitama district seat, while the center-right opposition Democratic Party for the People¡¯s Yoshihiro Suzuki, 61, won by picking up votes from Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s supporters and nonaffiliated voters.

The final tally was about 70,600 votes for Suzuki but only around 60,200 for Ishii, who indicated Monday that he is likely to resign as Komeito chief.

¡°I think that continuing as party leader after losing my seat will create various difficulties, so I would like to consider things carefully,¡± he told reporters.

As a constituency boundary change moved LDP incumbent Hiromi Mitsubayashi to another district, Ishii had hoped to win the Saitama 14th district after serving as a proportional representative for the North Kanto regional bloc.

The LDP¡¯s local chapter was dissatisfied with the party headquarters¡¯ decision not to field candidates as per their agreement with Komeito.

Komeito had backed Mitsubayashi and other LDP members forced to run without party support, who in turn had asked local voters to cast their ballots for Ishii and Komeito. That fueled voters¡¯ anger at the ruling coalition over the LDP-centered slush funds scandal.

The defeat comes after Ishii, who had been the party¡¯s secretary-general since 2020, took over the Komeito presidency on Sept. 28 after no other candidates stepped forward. He succeeded 72-year-old Natsuo Yamaguchi, who had held the post since 2009. Ishii was chosen on expectations that he would help rejuvenate the party after 15 years under Yamaguchi.

Ishii is the first Komeito chief to lose his seat in an election since then-leader Akihiro Ota lost in the 2009 Lower House race. He returned to the chamber in 2012.