Japan's political elites are scrambling for new allies following the collapse of the ruling coalition that left even the prime ministerial post up for grabs. Last week, nationalist Sanae Takaichi was elected head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and appeared to be on course to become the nation's first female leader. Takaichi's ambitions took a significant blow on Friday, however, when the 26-year alliance between the LDP and the Buddhist-backed party Komeito broke down. Analysts point out that the partnership has long been strained, with Komeito opposing a more aggressive security policy pushed by the LDP, but Takaichi taking over as LDP head appears to have been the last straw for the smaller party. "Komeito was already worried about Takaichi's hawkish stance on security, on relations with South Korea and China, and their fear was that she would go even further as soon as she was in office," said Hiromi Murakami, a professor of political science at the Tokyo campus of Temple University.