Diwali 2022 indeed became extra special for India as the development of happiness took place back to back. In the 75th year of Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Diwali 2022 started with Team India defeating Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and then Indian origin Rishi Shunak emerged as the leader of the Conservative Party and all set to become UK's first Indian-origin Prime Minister. Rishi Shunak, the 42-year-old, who is a descendant of Hindu immigrants from India and East Africa, garnered nearly 200 public nominations from Tory lawmakers by the Monday afternoon deadline. Rishi Sunak faced off against Penny Mordaunt after Boris Johnson (Ex UK PM) abandoned his political comeback. Eventually, the 42-year-old was elected unopposed, just weeks after losing out to Liz Truss.
As soon as it was declared that Rishi Shunak will be the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he started trending around the world and social media went frenzy in India after the official announcement. In fact, Indian bureaucrat Anand Mahindra recalled UK's former Prime Minister Winston Churchill's infamous quote about Indians who had said, "…all Indian leaders will be of low calibre & men of straw" and said that 'Life is beautiful' as 'we’re poised to see a man of Indian origin anointed as PM of the UK'.
With Rishi Shunak all set to become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, here are a few unmissable facts which you must know about him-
1) Rishi Sunak took oath as MP from Yorkshire, on the Bhagavad Gita in the Parliament. He was the first UK parliamentarian to do so. Furthermore, both his parents are of Indian descent. Sunak's parents, pharmacists, migrated from East Africa to the UK in the 1960s. Sunak's father, Yashvir Sunak, was a National Health Service general practitioner and mother, Usha Sunak, ran a chemist shop.
2) Rishi Sunak is a Stanford University graduate and a former investment banker.
3) Rishi Sunak is married to Infosys chief Narayana Murthy's daughter Akshata Murthy. They have two daughters - Krishna and Anoushka. As Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson's leadership, Rishi Sunak lit Diwali diyas at his residence on Downing Street.
At 42, Sunak youngest to take UK PM office in over 200 years
4) As per Sunday Times 2022 Rich List, Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have an estimated fortune of £730 million.The list placed them as the 222nd richest people in Britain. In comparison, the same list placed Queen Elizabeth II’s fortune at £370m ($A660m) before her death. Moreover, UK media reports that King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort’s wealth is estimated to be between £300m ($A536m) and £350m ($A626m).
5) Rishi Shunak's love for cricket is not a mystery. Reportedly, he plays cricket to keep himself fit.