The Kenseitō was founded in June 1898, as a merger of the Shimpotō headed by Ōkuma Shigenobu and the Liberal Party (Jiyūtō) led by Itagaki Taisuke, with Ōkuma as party president. The merger gave the new party an overwhelming majority in the Lower House of the Diet of Japan; the two parties had won 208 seats in the March 1898 elections.
The Kenseitō was established in June 1898, as a merger of the Shimpotō led by Ōkuma Shigenobu and the Liberal Party (Jiyūtō) under Itagaki Taisuke, with Ōkuma serving as party president. The merger resulted in the new party gaining an overwhelming majority in the Lower House of the Diet of Japan; both parties had secured 208 seats in the March 1898 elections.