New Komeito party chief Akihiro Ota said on Thursday that he will resign as the party chief following the decisive defeat of the ruling bloc in the House of Representatives election on Sunday. Taking the entire responsibility for his party's beating in the lower house election, Ota, whose party stays allied with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), announced his decision to resign at a press conference after his resignation was approved in a key party meeting. The party is expected to choose a new party chief on Monday with Natsuo Yamaguchi, the policy chief, being one of the most likely candidates, according to party officials. In Sunday's election, the New Komeito lost in all single-seat constituencies, slashing its seats in the lower house from 31 to 21. 