Rishi Sunak, Now A Top Contender For UK Prime Minister: 5 Facts

Rishi Sunak, 42, was picked by Boris Johnson and appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer -- his first full cabinet position -- in February 2020.

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If it happens, he will be first Indian origin man to be British PM.

Rishi Sunak, whose resignation as Chancellor of the exchequer triggered an avalanche of resignations against Boris Johnson, is believed to be a contender for next UK Prime Minister. If it happens, he will be first Indian origin man to be British PM.

Here are the 5 points on Rishi Sunak
  1. Rishi Sunak, 42, was picked by Boris Johnson and appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer -- his first full cabinet position -- in February 2020.
  2. He's seen by the bookmakers Ladbrokes as joint favorite alongside former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt. He became hugely popular during the pandemic after crafting a massive package worth tens of billions of pounds to help businesses and workers.
  3. Nicknamed "Dishy" Rishi, he found himself on the backfoot over his wife's non-dom tax status, his US green card, and the perception of him being too slow to react to Britain's cost-of-living crisis.
  4. A teetotaller, he was also fined for defying the Covid lockdown and participating in a Downing Street gathering.
  5. Rishi Sunak's grandparents came from Punjab. He has two daughters with Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy. They met while students in California.
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