TOKYO (AP) — Fumio Kishida was reelected as Japan’s prime minister Wednesday after his governing party scored a major victory in key parliamentary elections.

Elected just over a month ago by parliament, Kishida called a quick election in which his governing party secured 261 seats in the 465-member lower house — the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber legislature — enough to maintain a free hand in pushing legislation through parliament.

The Oct. 31 victory increases his grip on power and is seen as a mandate from voters for his weeks-old government to tackle the pandemic-battered economy, virus measures and other challenges.

Later Wednesday, he will form his second Cabinet.