Former UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak made history as being the first Indian-origin politician to run for the Prime Minister post in the United Kingdom, with his chances of sitting on the top post strong during the first few rounds of voting by Tory party members.
The ballots for the Tory leadership battle have now been closed and the votes have been cast, with the winner of the UK Prime Ministerial post-race to be announced in a matter of few hours. According to sources, Sunak’s rival Liz Truss is expected to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Rishi Sunak on Saturday signed off his ‘Ready for Rishi’ campaign with a thank you note for his team and supporters. Despite all the surveys of Conservative Party members saying that Truss is set to win the polls, Sunak ended his campaign on an optimistic note.
“Voting is now closed. Thank you to all my colleagues, the campaign team, and, of course, all the members who came out to meet me and lend your support. See you Monday! #Ready4Rishi," he said.
Why did Rishi Sunak fall behind Liz Truss?
Rishi Sunak had led strongly in the first five to six rounds of Conservative Party voting, leaving behind Liz Truss with minimum odds. Making a strong recovery, Truss now has strong odds of 92 to 95 percent while Sunak’s odds have dropped down to 5 to 8 percent.
Rishi Sunak was one of the first cabinet leaders to resign from his position which eventually led to the resignation of Boris Johnson, leading to an environment of distrust around him from other Conservative Party members for turning on his boss.
According to surveys, Rishi Sunak was labeled as a “backstabber” by many Tories after Johnson had to step down from the PM post. Further, there was some hesitancy from the party when it came to his tax reforms and performance in the treasury.
Rishi Sunak’s wealth also came into play during the PM candidate rally. As per reports, Sunak’s wife Akshata Murthy is believed to be richer than the Queen, which made him the less popular choice when it comes to issues like poverty and unemployment.
(With inputs from agencies)
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