A leadership grab appears to have kicked off in the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, involving LDP Policy Research Council chair Koichi Hagiuda and LDP House of Councillors Secretary General Hiroshige Seko.
The 97-member faction previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has not yet selected a new leader and is hoping to avoid a split amid a succession struggle. Meanwhile, the absence of a figurehead has reduced its influence within the party, according to some members of the faction.
