Rishi Sunak to be new UK PM: Indians celebrate, but Britons say 'No one voted for him'

Rishi Sunak to be UK PM: The announcement has sparked celebrations among Indian Twitter users.

Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain’s next Prime Minister after winning the Conservative leadership race on Monday. Apart from being the third Prime Minister to lead the country this year, Rishi Sunak will also be Britain's first Hindu Prime Minister of Indian origin.

He will take over from Liz Truss, who quit last week after 45 tumultuous days in office, leaving a staggering economy and a shell-shocked and divided party. His only rival, Penny Mordaunt, conceded and withdrew after failing to reach the nomination threshold of 100 Conservative lawmakers needed to stay in the race.

The announcement has sparked celebrations among Indian Twitter users one of the reasons being Rishi Sunak is of Indian origin and his wife Akshata Murty is the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy.

#RishiSunak becomes the UK PM.
Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Bose and Sardar from heaven: pic.twitter.com/DnPv0APwzd

— भल्लाल देव (@Bhallaldeva_) October 24, 2022

Yes Rishi Sunak is British and this is not some India win but I'm still gonna say it
UK now has its first Hindu PM of Indian origin
UK PM is son in law of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy
UK PM is married to Akshata Murty, who has a roughly 700 mn worth stake in Infosys https://t.co/4x03SQ4izv

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— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) October 24, 2022

Penny Mordant drops out of the leadership race.

Rishi’s Sunak is the next U.K. PM.

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On Diwali, UK gets it’s first Indian- origin Prime Minister!@RishiSunak pic.twitter.com/TJ8czKaaqG

— Ruhi Khan (@khanruhi) October 24, 2022

Read more: UK Gets First Indian-origin PM in Rishi Sunak: His Indian Connection in 10 Points

Among Britons, however, calls for a general election--which had erupted during Liz Truss's tenure--is only growing stronger now with several people claiming Rishi Sunak has no mandate without getting a single vote from the public in his favour.

Here's how Twitter has been reacting to the announcement of Rishi Sunak as the new Prime Minister:

So Rishi Sunak – the richest MP in history – is going to become Prime Minister, with plans to cut funding for public services and slash workers' wages.

This Tory class war will be waged with no mandate, without a single vote being cast.

General election now! #EnoughIsEnough

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) October 24, 2022

If @RishiSunak becomes PM without a single interview or a smidgin of scrutiny, let alone a public vote, the British electoral system will look no more democratic than a banana republic. He will have no mandate. And that is disgraceful.

— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) October 23, 2022

So there we are: Rishi Sunak, a multi-millionaire, who boasted about moving public money from "deprived urban areas" to the wealthiest parts of Britain is our new Prime Minister - without mandate or election. The poor will be crucified and the rich enriched as our democracy rots.

— NeilMackay (@NeilMackay) October 24, 2022

Rishi Sunak has no mandate in Ireland and will never serve the interests of the Irish people.

It’s time to organise to ensure he’s the last British PM with jurisdiction in Ireland. pic.twitter.com/xSShN5vuvK

— Órfhlaith Begley MP (@OrfhlaithBegley) October 24, 2022

Judging by his record as Chancellor, Rishi Sunak cares even less about you than Liz Truss did.

— George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) October 24, 2022

Rishi Sunak had been the strong favorite as the governing Conservatives sought stability at a time of immense economic challenges and after months of chaos that consumed the past two leaders.

He had lost out to Truss in the last Conservative election, but his party now appears eager for a safe pair of hands to tackle soaring energy and food prices and a looming recession. The politician steered the economy through the coronavirus pandemic, winning praise for his financial support for laid-off workers and shuttered businesses.

(With input from agencies)

Read more: PM-elect Rishi Sunak wants to change UK-India relationship to make it more two-way