Tokyo, Oct 21 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Sanae Takaichi on her election as Japan’s Prime Minister, marking the first woman to hold this position.
Takaichi received 125 votes in the Upper House, just one vote above the simple majority required for victory.
She previously secured 237 votes in the Lower House, exceeding the required majority of 233. PM Modi expressed his hope to work closely with Takaichi to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, stating that deepening ties are vital for peace, stability, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Takaichi, a former television anchor, entered Japanese politics in 1993 and joined Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 1996. She served as the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs and later became the first woman to chair the LDP’s Policy Research Council. From 2022 to 2024, she was Japan’s Economic Security Minister and held the record as the longest-serving Minister for Internal Affairs.
Takaichi was elected as the leader of the LDP after receiving 185 votes, defeating Shinjiro Shinjiro, who received 156 votes in a runoff. As the Prime Minister, she will serve the remainder of former PM Shigeru Ishiba’s three-year term, which ends in September 2027. Former Justice Minister Midori Matsushima expressed happiness at the prospect of the country getting its first female Prime Minister.
