Rishi Sunak

In his first, brief public statement after being elevated, he said: "I pledge that I will serve you with integrity and humility; and I will work day in, day out to deliver for the British people." It will be the first time a non-white will occupy the position of head of government in the United Kingdom -- a major post in international affairs, since Britain is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as well as a constituent of the G7 -- the most industrialised countries in the world.

"Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the 'living bridge' of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership," Modi said in a tweet.

The result of Monday's contest caps a spectacularly rapid rise to the pinnacle of British politics, CNN reported. Sunak was first elected as an MP in 2015 and spent two years on the backbenches, during which Brexit dominated the political agenda. Sunak supported leaving the EU during the 2016 referendum. He subsequently became a junior minister in former Prime Minister Theresa May's government.

Rishi Sunak, who had thrown his hat in the ring again after Liz Truss's sudden resignation - barely a month and a half after she had pipped him in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson, was Monday the only contestant to replace her after rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out, due to lack of necessary support.

Rishi Sunak looks set to become UK's next prime minister after he got support of more than 170 members of the parliament -- much beyond the 100-mark required to bag the keys to 10 Downing Street. Penny Mordaunt, the only other candidate, is making a last ditch attempt to persuade Tory MPs for support. She has just 26 declarations.

Rishi Sunak closest rival, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, dramatically pulled out of the race on Sunday evening, saying he has enough support but decided that it was not the right thing to do, the BBC reported. Sunak praised Johnson, saying "we will always be grateful" for his actions during the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Taking to Twitter, he said: "The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis." He added: "I want to fix our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country." Prominent Pakistani origin Conservative MPs are backing Sunak for the prime ministership of the UK. Whereas prominent Indian origin MPs are supporting Boris Johnson.

Earlier reports began to emerge that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak held talks late into the night - fuelling speculation they could strike a deal, Sky News reported. Now Sky News understands that the talks between the pair did take place. Neither the former prime minister nor the ex-chancellor have officially declared themselves in the race to succeed Liz Truss as prime minister.

On the other hand, if either former prime minister Boris Johnson or Penny Mordaunt, who was leader of the House of Commons under Liz Truss, who threw in the towel as premier on her 45th day in office, crosses the threshold of support from 100 MPs, then a confirmatory vote by the wider membership of the Conservative party could be an uncertain prospect for Sunak. He lost to Truss at this stage in the summer.

Sunak has received 93 endorsements from Conservative MPs, the BBC report said. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is expected to arrive in London on Saturday from a vacation in the Carribean, is in second place with 44 endorsements. Sunak and Johnson are however yet to officially declare their bids in the contest to succeed Liz Truss who resigned as head of government on Thursday after only 45 days in office -- the shortest period for any British Premier in history.