India, Sept. 7 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday expressed his intention to step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for its big loss in the July parliamentary election, public broadcaster NHK reported.

While the Prime Minister's Office has yet to issue an official statement, Ishiba, who took office in October, has resisted demands from mostly rightwing opponents within his own party for more than a month.

The decision is seen as an attempt to unify a fractured party ahead of a potential leadership contest. Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Monday on whether to hold an emergency leadership election.

Ishiba's decision to step down from the position comes after a ...