Rishi Sunak to become the next UK PM: Let's understand his India connection

With Boris Johnson's party gate scandal and Liz Truss's tax cuts debacle, Sunak is the third prime minister in the last seven months

Rishi Sunak, the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, has been elected as Britain's first Indian-origin prime minister. Sunak, 42, will replace Liz Truss, who resigned last week after being in power for 45 days. Her short stint made her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.

Other candidates like Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt pulled out of the race after they could not muster the support of 100 MPs needed to stand in the elections. Sunak, on the other hand, received support from as many as 193 MPs. 

The new UK prime minister was the front-runner after his rival and former boss Johnson, quit the race, admitting that he could no longer unite their party following one of the most turbulent periods in British political history. With Johnson's party gate scandal and Truss's tax cuts debacle, Sunak is the third prime minister in the last seven months. Sunak's appointment comes at a time when the UK economy is witnessing immense challenges amid the political chaos in the country.

As he creates history, here is a look at his Indian connections:

1. Rishi Sunak's parents are both of Indian descent. His parents, pharmacists, migrated to the UK in the 1960s from East Africa. He was born in the Southampton area. His grandparents hailed from Punjab.

2. Sunak is married to Akshara Murthy, daughter of Infosys chief Narayan Murthy. Sunak and Murthy have two daughters, namely- Krishna and Anoushka.

3. The 42-year-old Sunak took oath as MP from Richmond, Yorkshire, on the Bhagwad Gita in the Parliament and became the first UK parliamentarian to do so. According to a report in NDTV, the former Chancellor also shared a statement where he said that the Bhagwad Gita often rescues him during stressful situations and reminds him to be dutiful.

4. Rishi Sunak often speaks of his heritage and how he was constantly reminded about his culture and values by his family.

5. In February 2020, Sunak was appointed as the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson's leadership. On the occasion of Diwali, Sunak used to lit diyas at his residence on Downing Street

6. Education was a key aspect of parenting in the Sunak household. A former investment banker, Sunak is a Stanford University graduate.

7. Sunak visits Bengaluru with his wife and daughters to meet his in-laws.

8. While campaigning for the PM's post in 2022, Rishi Sunak faced criticism on various grounds, including his lavish house, shoes, and expensive suits.