Britain's former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has emerged as the top contender for the prime minister's post after multiple rounds of voting among Tory MPs. He bagged 137 votes in the fifth and final ballot that concluded on Wednesday. Close behind was Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with 113 votes.
Over the next six weeks, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will try to win support at election meetings and national debates.
Britain will have a new prime minister by September 5. If Sunak wins, he will be the first person of colour to lead the country.
Meanwhile, Truss could become the third woman prime minister of Britain, after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.
Truss is known to emulate Thatcher, sometimes copying her outfits with attention to detail.
Like Thatcher, she is also a free marketeer, admired for her tough and direct attitude to politics.
As Britain's foreign secretary, she was at the forefront of several trade deals signed after Brexit.
Truss has also been a central figure in Britain's efforts to support Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia for starting a war against its neighbour.
She has secured supporters among the Conservative Party's right-wing for her promises to increase defence spending and slash taxes.
On the other hand, her critics say she lacks the qualities required to lead Britain amid economic troubles at home and the war in Ukraine, which is having a resounding impact on world politics.
Truss has been a vocal supporter of Johnson, saying that as Conservatives "we need to stop apologising for who we are".
(With inputs from AFP and AP)
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