Japan’s Parliament elects Sanae Takaichi as nation’s first female Prime Minister

• Japan’s Parliament elected Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female Prime Minister on October 21.

• Takaichi, 64, replaces Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July.

• Takaichi won 237 votes, four more than a majority, compared to 149 won by Yoshikoko Noda, head of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, in the lower house, which elects the PM.

• Takaichi’s victory was secured after her Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of its post-war history, agreed to a coalition deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party.

• The two parties signed a coalition agreement on policies underscoring Takaichi’s hawkish and nationalistic views.

• A protege of assassinated former PM Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to emulate his policies.

• An admirer of former British PM Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi was first elected to Parliament in 1993 and has served in a number of senior party and government posts, including as ministers of economic security and internal affairs.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Takaichi on her election as Japan’s PM and said he looked forward to working closely to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between the two nations.