Boris Johnson elected new UK PM; promises to 'energise the country and get Brexit done'

Boris Johnson on Tuesday won Conservative Party's leership race to become next Prime Minister of Britain, amid political uncertainty over country's divorce deal with European Union.

Johnson, former foreign secretary and London Mayor, was widely expected to beat foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in battle for 10 Downing Street, which was triggered last month when a Brexit-battered May resigned amid a mounting rebellion from within Conservative Party. 

dressing Tory party members at Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, near Houses of Parliament, soon after results were declared, Johnson, 55, said: " one person or party has mopoly of wisdom. Time and again it is to us [Conservative Party] that people have turned.

"At this pivotal point in history... I kw that we will do it. mantra is deliver Brexit, unite country and defeat (Labour leer) Jeremy Corbyn. 

"I will work flat out to repay your confidence. work begins w." 

co-chair of Tory party's 1922 Committee Cheryl Gillan MP opened envelope to declare that Johnson won 92,153 votes compared to 46,656 polled for Hunt by a voting base of 159,320 Tory membership, with 509 rejected ballots. poll turut was pegged at 87.4 per cent, with Boris Johnson racing ahe with a vote of nearly two to one.

Johnson has been frontrunner in race ever since a group of Tory MPs put ir hat in ring for first phase of leership election within Conservative parliamentary party. 

flamboyant politician, however, is t set to take formal charge until Wednesday, once May has been driven up to Buckingham Palace to tender her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.

new Prime Minister is expected to spend some time finalising his key Cabinet and ministerial posts soon after results. A number of Brexiteers, including Indian-origin MPs Priti Patel and Rishi Sunak  both supporters of Johnson, are expected to be part of his new team.

"With Boris Johnson leing Conservative Party and as Prime Minister, UK, will have a leer who believes in Britain, will implement a new vision for future of country and a romap to move forward and thrive as a self-governing nation that re-establishes our ties with our friends and allies around world such as India," said Patel, in reference to leership contest results.

Both Johnson and Hunt h me special interventions to reach out to party's Indian diaspora base, with Hunt pledging to eng with India to negotiate a free tre agreement post-Brexit and Johnson promising a new and improved tring relationship with India if he is elected. 

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former Mayor of London, who has in past described himself as a "son-in-law of India" by virtue of his w estranged wife Marina Wheeler's Indian mor, also played up a strong personal relationship with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi.

vote to choose between two final candidates with most backing went he-to-he before wider Conservative Party membership up and down country. Tory membership base, estimated to be around 160,000, h until Monday night to get ir postal ballots in to party's influential 1922 Committee  in charge of poll process.

Hunt, 52, h pegged himself as underdog in race who, as an entrepreneur himself, h negotiating skills required to le Tories through tough phase ahe of meeting October 31 deline for Britain's exit from European Union (EU). 

two contenders clashed in a number of hustings around UK, with Johnson's refusal to take prospect of a chaotic -deal Brexit off table exposing divisions within Tory party even furr. 

Many Cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Philip Hammond and justice secretary David Gauke, have alrey said y would step down rar than serve under Johnson as PM with his "do or die" pledge over Brexit deline. 

Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan became one of first to step down in opposition of Johnson's Brexit strategy even before results were declared. Ar minister, Anne Milton in education department, also sent in her resignation to May ahe of result over similar concerns.

Johnson's colourful personal life has also been under some scrutiny during month-long leership contest, with speculation rife in UK media on wher his girlfriend Carrie Symonds is likely to join him as partner at 10 Downing Street.

May, who chaired her last Cabinet meeting on Tuesday at Downing Street, will dress her final Prime Minister's Questions in House of Commons on Wednesday and n be driven to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen. 

93-year-old monarch will n invite new PM-elect to form a government, following which he will make his first speech as Prime Minister on steps of Downing Street on Wednesday evening.

new PM will chair his first Cabinet meeting a day after, on Thursday morning, before UK Parliament is set to rise for its summer recess until early September. 

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