Rishi Sunak one step closer to be elected UK Prime Minister on Diwali

Rishi Sunak is one step closer as clear frontrunner in Conservative Party leadership race on Monday to be elected Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister after his former boss, Boris Johnson, confirmed he would be pulling out of contest.

With former prime minister stepping aside on Sunday night saying it was “simply t right time” for his comeback, prospect of a Diwali victory for Sunak cant be ruled out.

42-year-old former chancellor, who said he wanted to “fix our ecomy, unite our party and deliver for our country” when he declared his candidacy, has held a solid lead in contest having comfortably surpassed 100-MPs threshold to make shortlist in time for 1400 local time Monday deadline.

Leader of Commons Penny Mordaunt, only or contestant in race, has much ground to cover to hit 100-MPs mark, giving rise to possibility that former finance minister may well be declared new leader as soon as Monday evening.

If Sunak and Mordaunt both make final shortlist, y would go forward for an online vote of 170,000 Tory membership and that result on Friday would prove less predictable.

A Sunak victory would mark a remarkable turnaround in political fortunes for former finance minister, who lost out to outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss just last month after his popularity among party colleagues did t translate in wider Tory membership vote.

Truss on Thursday anunced her resignation as Prime Minister after just 45 days in office, following an open revolt against her leadership in Conservative Party.

“I am asking you for opportunity to help fix our problems,” said Sunak, in his latest campaign pitch, with reference to ecomic turmoil he would be inheriting if he does go on to succeed Truss following a disastrous tax-cutting mini-budget last month.

“ United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound ecomic crisis. That’s why I am standing to be leader of Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister,” he said, promising “integrity, professionalism and accountability” at every level of government that he would lead and to “work day in and day out” to get job done.

UK-born son of Indian-origin general practitioner far Yashvir and pharmacist mor Usha had spoken extensively of his migrant roots during last campaign and also referenced making history by lighting Diwali diyas at 11 Downing Street as first Indian-origin Chancellor of Exchequer. “Sixty years after my Naniji boarded a plane in East Africa, on a warm sunny evening in October, her great-grandaughters, my kids, played in street outside our home, painted Rangoli on doorstep, lit sparklers and diyas; had fun like so many or families on Diwali.

Except street was Downing Street, and door was door to . 11,” said Sunak, in his campaign video a few months ago.

That personal story also extended to a visibly emotional reference to his parents-in-law – Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murthy – as he hit back at attacks on his wife Akshata Murthy’s family wealth.

“I'm actually incredibly proud of what my parents-in-law built,” he said, during heated television debates over past few months.

As a devout Hindu, Sunak is a regular at temple where he was born in Southampton and his daughters, Aushka and Krishna, are also rooted in Indian culture.

He recently shared how Aushka performed Kuchipudi with her classmates for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Westminster Abbey in June.

But beyond personal, he also faced down attacks from his opponents over his record as Chancellor until his resignation precipitated Johnson's exit.

He stood firm on his focus on inflation rar than any vote-winning tax cut promises to woo a traditionally low-tax favouring Conservative Party membership base.

“I will get taxes down in this Parliament, but I'm going to do so responsibly. I don't cut taxes to win elections, I win elections to cut taxes,” he declared.

His self-made credentials of working his way through a n-scholarship place at one of UK’s best schools, Winchester College, to a coveted Philosophy, Politics, and Ecomics (PPE) from Oxford University and n an MBA from Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar tick all right boxes for country’s highest political office.

His private sector experience at Goldman Sachs and as a hedge fund manr seem to lend him aura of someone who can be trusted in face of harsh ecomic headwinds, furr bolstered by his prescient warnings over Truss’ unfunded tax cuts.

His political career began with winning a safe Tory seat of Richmond in Yorkshire in 2015 and from junior roles in Treasury he was suddenly catapulted to post of Chancellor of Exchequer when his former boss, Sajid Javid, resigned in February 2020.

He proved doubters who feared his inexperience of high office would see him overpowered by his new boss, Johnson, wrong as he credibly led ecomic response to COVID pandemic.

He was constantly touted as heir apparent to Johnson until that took a beating with some of his less popular tax hike policies in wake of pandemic and a partygate fine for attending a birthday event for his ex-boss in breach of lockdown rules.

In latest chapter, duo found mselves pitched for ar face-off for top job in British politics.

This round seems to be firmly titled in favour of Sunak, and if he goes on to be elected third British Prime Minister in three months, he faces tough task of trying to unite a deeply divided Tory party at one of most perilous times for British ecomy.