As Boris Johnson Bows Out, Could Indian-Origin Rishi Sunak Replace Him As UK Prime Minister?

After brazening it out for months, Boris Johnson's term in office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom came to an end on Thursday.

With every other cabinet colleague deserting him the writing on the wall was clear to Johnson, who had no options left but to step down.

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Johnson, who survived a no-confidence motion recently brought by his party, could not withstand yet another revolt from within.

The 58-year-old who agreed to step down from his role in the Conservative Party will continue to serve as the caretaker Prime Minister until October.

There is still no clarity on who will replace him, but the frontrunner is said to be one of the high-profile exits from Johnson's cabinet.

Who is Rishi Sunak?

Rishi Sunak, who, until Wednesday was the Chancellor of the exchequer resigned, along with his cabinet colleague Sajid Javid.

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Their resignations were followed by nearly 40 more till Thursday.

42-year-old Sunak is widely seen as a contender for the next UK Prime Minister.

If that happens, he will become the first person of Indian origin to reach the post.

His grandparents were from Punjab and had migrated to Africa before moving to the UK in the 1960s.

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Rishi Sunak and his relationship with Infosys

Sunak's Indian connection does not end there. He is married to Akshata Murty, the billionaire founder of Indian tech giant Infosys.

Akshata and Sunak met while studying at Stanford University and married in 2009. The couple has two children.

The biggest obstacle between Sunak and the PM's chair is his family ties.

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Akshata Murty's tax status becomes a problem

Earlier this year, when Sunak was the clear frontrunner to succeed Johnson, he was hit by a major tax evasion scandal involving his wife.

The British press was shocked to learn that Akshata, who owns a 0.91% stake in Infosys and is richer than the Queen, doesn't pay tax in the country.

Akshata has non-domiciled status, which means she does not have to pay tax on income earned abroad while living in the UK.

Following the controversy, Akshata announced in April that she would pay UK taxes on her global income, adding that she didn't want the issue "to be a distraction for my husband."

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Sunak is a teetotaller but was among those fined for defying the COVID lockdown and participating in a Downing Street gathering.

He is a practicing Hindu, and since his Parliamentary debut in 2017, Sunak has taken his oath at the House of Commons on the Bhagavad Gita.

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