Boris Johnson resigns: Here is a list of likely candidates to replace British PM

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will resign as the leader of the Conservative Party today. However, he will continue as the Prime Minister of the country until a new leader is elected. The pressure mounted on PM Boris Johnson after Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak resigned on Tuesday.

They were joined by at least 40 other lawmakers and government officials in the 24 hours since. The resignations followed the revelation that Boris Johnson had known that a Conservative lawmaker, Chris Pincher, was being investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct in 2019 before he was appointed to a senior role responsible for party discipline.

Read | UK PM Boris Johnson agrees to step down, will remain in charge till new leader is elected

Pincher resigned last week after facing fresh accusations that he groped two men at a work event on June 29.

Boris Johnson's decision to resign starts a leadership battle as to who will become the new Prime Minister of Britain. The 58-year-old Boris Johnson will continue as the Prime Minister until the Conservative Party completes the process of electing a new leader by October when it is due to hold a conference.

Here is a list of probables who can be selected as the next British Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak

The Indian-origin Rishi Sunak is one of the favorites to take over the British premiership. Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy. In 2015, he became an MP for the first time. He played an important role in Boris Johnson's election campaign.

Rishi Sunak strongly supporting Brexit after which he became powerful in his party. On Tuesday, he resigned from the post of Finance Minister in the Boris Johnson government. Rishi Sunak has also had his share of controversy. He faced criticism last year due to the allegations of tax evasion against his wife Akshata.

Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt is also a strong contender for the post of Prime Minister. The former Defence Secretary is a staunch supporter of Brexit but has been vocal in her criticism of Johnson over the partygate scandal. She is currently the only female lawmaker who is in the Royal Navy reserves.

Penny Mordaunt is popular among Conservative loyalists.

Sajid Javid

Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid has held several senior roles within cabinet and vied for party leadership in 2019. He was also the Finance Minister under the Boris Johnson government but resigned in 2020 after refusing to fire some of his most senior aides. 

He was also Home Secretary under Former Prime Minister Theresa May. Sajid Javid returned to cabinet as Health Secretary in June 2021 during Covid times.

Liz Truss

The 46-year-old Elizabeth Marie Truss, popularly known as Liz Truss is an MP for South West Northfolk. Liz is the Foreign Common Wealth and Development Affairs Secretary. Very popular these days, Truss was also the International Trade Secretary for two years. Last year, he was entrusted with the important task of negotiating with the European Union.

She has also been an ardent Brexit supporter.

Jeremy Hunt

Former Health and Foreign Secretary, the 55-year-old Jeremy Hunt was the second most popular leader in the 2019 elections. His public image has been spotless. Party people are confident that Jeremy Hunt will run the government seriously without creating any controversy.

He has been a vocal critic of PM Boris Johnson's handling of the pandemic and the partygate scandal.

Nadhim Zahawi

After Rishi Sunak's resignation, Boris Johnson appointed Nadhim Zahawi as the new Finance Minister. He first gained popularity as vaccine minister, overseeing Britain's successful rollout of Covid-19 shots. He is relatively a political newcomer.

His loyalty to PM Boris Johnson led Zahawi to be promoted as the Education Secretary in September and now, following Rishi Sunak's resignation on Tuesday, to Finance Minister. He backed Brexit in 2016. Nadeem came to Britain as a refugee from Iraq when he was 11-years-old along with his family.

In 2010, he became an MP for the first time. Nadhim Zahawi had recently said, "If I am elected as the Prime Minister of Britain, then it will be my luck."