Rishi Sunak closes campaign on personal note with parents, wife Akshata Murthy
India Today
Rishi Sunak thanked his parents and wife Akshata Murthy for their support at the final hustings before the election for a new Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister.
Rishi Sunak struck a personal note in the final hustings event before the election for a new Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister concludes, as he thanked his parents and wife Akshata Murthy for their support.
Addressing a teeming concert venue at Wembley in London on Wednesday night, the Indian-origin former Chancellor could have been mistaken for a rockstar amid the loud cheers and screams of “Rishi, Rishi”.
Given the sharp contrast between his booming welcome and that of his rival, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, it was clear that at least for this audience, Sunak was the winning candidate in the race to succeed Boris Johnson.
“This final hustings is special for me because the two people who inspired me to enter public service are actually here tonight my mum and dad,” opened Sunak, as the cameras panned to the front row where his general practitioner father Yashvir and pharmacist mother Usha were seated with his wife Akshata.
“It was their example of service and what they did for people that inspired me to enter politics. Mum, dad thank you for always sacrificing and striving to provide a better life for your kids than you had. And, thank you for teaching me that with hard work and belief and the love of your family there is no limit to what someone can achieve in our great country,” he said, to applause and cheers from the crowd.
Turning to his “incredible, loving, kind wife", the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and author Sudha Murthy, the 42-year-old Tory MP for Richmond in Yorkshire referenced their love story as students at Stanford University in the US.
“You know what you mean to me, and I am incredibly grateful that 18 years ago you chose to give up your high heels and take a chance on the short kid with a backpack,” he said.
