Japan's Taro Kono 'most popular pick' to lead govt after Suga: News Polls

After Yoshihide Suga announced his intention to resign, Japan's Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono is the most popular pick to succeed the country's top rank

After Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced his intention to resign, Japan's Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono is the most popular pick to succeed the country's top rank, Kyodo News reported citing a News poll released.

The results came after a nationwide telephone survey was conducted with 1,071 randomly selected eligible voters in the country.

"Kono gained 31.9 per cent of support from respondents in the nationwide telephone survey conducted with 1,071 randomly selected eligible voters on Saturday and Sunday, ahead of former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba with 26.6 per cent and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida with 18.8 per cent," the News polls informed.

Kono, who is also known as an outspoken lawmaker adept at social media is in charge of COVID-19 vaccinations in the country.

Japan's ruling party leaders have geared up to become the successor of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga after the latter's abrupt decision to pull out of his party's presidential election at the end of September, a media report said on Saturday.

On Friday, Suga said that he won't run in the upcoming Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) next election saying that he wants to focus on curbing the coronavirus spread, reported Japan's NHK World.

Suga's decision meant that he will soon step down as prime minister as his Liberal Democratic Party's president's term at the end of September.