title: Tokyo Governor Koike to challenge Japanese PM Abe with new party
text: TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Monday said she will lead a new national party that will challenge Prime Minister Shinzo Abe s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a general election expected to be called for next month. Koike, who named her new political group the Party of Hope, has emerged as a serious threat to Abe after she won the Tokyo governorship a year ago and in July fielded candidates who routed the LDP in elections for the metropolitan assembly.   I want the Japanese people to believe that there is hope for tomorrow,  she said at a televised press conference.  Our ideal is to proceed free of special interests,  she added. Koike is an ex-defense minister and former LDP member, and the challenge to her old party could pose a greater risk for Abe, who is expected to call a snap election for next month. Abe is benefiting from improved ratings and opposition disarray, but should he suffer a big loss of seats it could spur a challenge to his leadership from within the LDP.  A weekend survey by the Nikkei business daily showed 44 percent of voters will back Abe s LDP with only 8 percent supporting the main opposition Democratic Party. 