Rishi Sunak set to become UK Prime Minister, Check details here
Rishi Sunak, an Indian-origin politician, appears to be getting his Diwali gift today, since he is expected to be elected the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on October 24, despite the fact that no contenders have come up to challenge him so far.
Rishi Sunak moved one step closer to becoming the clear frontrunner in the Conservative Party leadership campaign to become Britain's first Indian-origin Prime Minister on Monday, after his former boss, Boris Johnson, announced his pullout from the race.
Aside from Johnson, two other contenders - Penny Mordaunt and Ben Wallace - were expected to run for UK Prime Minister. However, Mordaunt and Wallace have yet to file their nominations, despite the fact that today is the last day to do so.
With the former prime minister stepping down on Sunday night, claiming it was "just not the appropriate time" for him to return, Sunak's Diwali triumph cannot be ruled out.
When he declared his candidacy, the 42-year-old former chancellor said he wants to "repair our economy, unite our party, and deliver for our country." He has retained a solid lead in the contest, having handily crossed the 100-MPs mark in time for the 1400 local time Monday deadline.
A Sunak triumph would represent a remarkable turnaround in Sunak's political fortunes, since he lost to departing Prime Minister Liz Truss just last month after his popularity among party colleagues did not translate into a larger Tory membership vote.
Sunak, a devout Hindu, attends the temple where he was born in Southampton on a regular basis, and his children, Anoushka and Krishna, are likewise deeply immersed in Indian culture. He recently revealed how Anoushka performed Kuchipudi with her classmates at Westminster Abbey during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee festivities in June.