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Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra has shared a meme on Twitter which is undoubtedly a desire of every India at present. The meme is on 10, Downing Street--the official residence of the prime minister of the United Kingdom. In Mahindra's post, the facade of the UK prime minister's residence is adorned with dry mango leaves and a Swastika sign (a symbol of divinity and spirituality in the Hindu religion). Anand Mahindra captioned the meme as, “The future of 10 Downing Street? The famed British humour is now laced with Desi humour…".
The industrialist has posted the meme as former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who has Indian roots, has hit the threshold for the race for UK's next prime minister. Sunak has now formally launched his campaign to be elected the new Conservative Party leader and UK Prime Minister.
The 42-year-old son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has received the public backing of several senior Tory members of Parliament.
The overriding view is that pro-Brexit Sunak is the candidate that can unite the divided governing party and is best placed to take on the huge economic challenges facing the UK as a former Chancellor.
"I ran the toughest department in government during the toughest times when we faced the nightmare of Covid," said Sunak, in his #Ready4Rishi social media campaign launch video.
Sunak became finance minister in early 2020 and was praised for a Covid-19 economic rescue package, including a costly jobs retention programme that averted mass unemployment.
But he later faced criticism for not giving enough cost-of-living support to households. Revelations this year about his wealthy wife's non-domiciled tax status, and a fine he received for breaking Covid lockdown rules, have damaged his standing.
His tax-and-spend budget last year put Britain on course for its biggest tax burden since the 1950s, undermining his claims to favour lower taxes.
Sunak voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.
“Our country faces huge challenges, the most serious for a generation. Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions," reads his message on the Ready4Rishi campaign website.
The new leader of the UK’s ruling Conservative Party who will succeed Boris Johnson as the British Prime Minister will be announced on September 5.
Last week, Johnson announced his resignation as the Conservative Party leader following an unprecedented mutiny from within his Cabinet and after being abandoned by his close allies in the wake of a series of scandals that rocked his government, triggering a leadership election for a new Tory leader who will go on to become his successor.
Johnson, 58, said he will remain in charge at 10 Downing Street until the process of electing a new leader is completed.
The new leader will be chosen in a two-stage election, in which the 358 Conservative lawmakers reduce the race to two candidates through a series of elimination votes. The final pair will be put to a ballot of party members across the country.