Polls suggest Japan's ruling bloc will cling to election majority

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan October 14, 2021. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Liberal Democratic Party will likely lose some seats in the Oct. 31 lower house election, but the ruling coalition it forms with the Komeito party is expected to maintain a majority, several newspapers said on Thursday, citing their poll results.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aims to win a clear voter mandate to press ahead with his coronavirus response and steps to reinvigorate the pandemic-hit economy, but weak election results could turn him into another short-term premier.