Rishi Sunak may become UK PM today, races ahead of Penny Mordaunt | Top developments

Rishi Sunak looks set to become UK's next prime minister after Boris Johnson ended his bid in a surprise decision. The other contender, Penny Mordaunt, is way off securing the crucial number required to contest the election to replace Liz Truss.

Indian-origin MP Rishi Sunak looks all set to become the next British Prime Minister as Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest, saying although he had enough support to make the final ballot he realised the country and the Conservative Party needed unity.

In 2015, Rishi Sunak first entered politics. In Yorkshire's Richmond, he won the election. Sunak swiftly advanced through the ranks of the Conservative party and supported the "Brexit" movement. He participated in Boris Johnson's "leave EU" campaign as one of his backers.

Home Secretary Grant Shapps, International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith, and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman are just a few of the prominent Cabinet members that are supporting Rishi Sunak.

The nominations for Conservative party leadership race closes at 6:30 pm on Monday. The winner will be declared if there is only one contender with more than 100 legislative nominations. With the support of 147 MPs, Rishi Sunak is the front-runner for the position.

Boris Johnson announced his withdrawal from the campaign and said that, while he had the numbers and could have run for 10 Downing Street again. Johnson asserted that he is "well situated" to win the general election in 2024. The former prime minister enjoyed the support of more than 50 MPs at the time of his statement.

This development followed two very important meetings that Boris Johnson had with Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak. He was unable to persuade either of them to support him. In fact, Penny Mordaunt stated that she would support Rishi rather than Boris if she were to withdraw.

In the hours after Johnson's withdrawal, there was another significant event. Sunak gave Boris Johnson a public commendation for his accomplishments in Downing Street. The UK's Sunak-led administration was overthrown after Sunak's departure set off a widespread Cabinet mutiny amid scandals and claims of corruption.

The other contender in the contest, Penny Mordaunt, has a limited amount of time to win over MPs who had previously backed Boris Johnson. As she seeks out additional supporters before the deadline, she makes a commitment to deliver an honest and disciplined government. Only 25 MPs have officially endorsed the former defence secretary as of right now, according to the BBC.