JAPAN:Japan's ruling coalition is heading for a crushing defeat in next Sunday's upper house election, according to several polls released over the weekend.
Such a result would cause political gridlock and could lead to pressure for the resignation of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister.
The polls suggest that the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is outflanking the ruling Liberal Democrats in almost every region, including rural areas that were LDP strongholds.
If the polls prove correct, the LDP could win fewer than 40 seats in the less powerful upper house. The party needs 51 seats to secure a majority, assuming its junior coalition Komeito party wins all 13 seats it is contesting - something polls suggest cannot be taken for granted.
In 1998, when the LDP won just 44 seats, Ryutaro Hashimoto, the prime minister at the time, resigned to take responsibility. But close associates of Mr Abe say they expect him to try to tough out any defeat by inviting smaller parties to join the ruling coalition.
If the LDP won 40 seats or less, Mr Abe would struggle to win over enough senators to form a majority, analysts say. That could lead to legislative gridlock, with the lower house in the hands of the ruling coalition and the upper house controlled by the DPJ.
A poll published on Sunday in the Mainichi newspaper showed support for the DPJ at 31 per cent, a full 10 percentage points above the LDP's 21 per cent.
A Nikkei poll suggested the DPJ was heading for victory in roughly 20 of the 29 key single-seat constituencies and indicated the party would build on its 2004 performance in the proportional representation part of the ballot.
A separate Nikkei poll showed Mr Abe's personal approval rating falling 9 points to a new low of 27 per cent, with his disapproval rating at 50 per cent.
The prime minister's popularity has suffered badly from problems in the pension system and a series of scandals that have claimed three cabinet members.