Liz Truss new UK PM; 'She has the right plan', tweets Boris; PM Modi wishes her 'very best'

The 47-year-old senior Cabinet minister has become the UK's third female prime minister following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. "I campaigned as a Conservative. I will govern as a Conservative," Truss said in her winning speech.

London: Liz Truss has been elected the new British prime minister thus ending the six-week-long gruelling campaign for the governing Conservative Party to elect a new leader to succeed ousted Boris Johnson. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss were competing against each other. The winner was announced on Monday by Sir Graham Brady -- chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs and returning officer of the leadership election.

The 47-year-old senior Cabinet minister has become the UK's third female prime minister following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. "I campaigned as a Conservative. I will govern as a Conservative," Truss said in her winning speech.

Announcing the ballot, Sir Brady said the elections were secure, as well as free and fair. He thanked the 1922 executive committee and staff for their work, and the party board for organising the hustings. The result were: Liz Truss: 81,326, Rishi Sunak: 60,399. Electorate: 172,437 with a turnout of 82.6%.

"I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party. Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country. I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential," Truss tweeted soon after the results were announced.

• I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party.
  
  Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country.
  
  I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential. pic.twitter.com/xCGGTJzjqb

  — Liz for Leader (@trussliz) September 5, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party.
  
  Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country.
  
  I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential. pic.twitter.com/xCGGTJzjqb

  — Liz for Leader (@trussliz) September 5, 2022

  ">

  I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party.
  
  Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country.
  
  I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential. pic.twitter.com/xCGGTJzjqb

  — Liz for Leader (@trussliz) September 5, 2022

Outgoing UK PM Boris Johnson called for party to unite behind Truss. on her decisive win. Congratulations to @trussliz on her decisive win. I know she has the right plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of uniting and levelling up our country. Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 per cent," he tweeted.

• Congratulations to @trussliz on her decisive win. I know she has the right plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of uniting and levelling up our country. Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 per cent.

  — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 5, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Congratulations to @trussliz on her decisive win. I know she has the right plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of uniting and levelling up our country. Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 per cent.

  — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 5, 2022

  ">

  Congratulations to @trussliz on her decisive win. I know she has the right plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of uniting and levelling up our country. Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 per cent.

  — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 5, 2022

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate Truss. "Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK. Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities," Modi tweeted.

• Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK. Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities.

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK. Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities.

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2022

  ">

  Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK. Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities.

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2022

Truss was widely expected to clinch the ballot online and postal votes cast by Tory members, ending Sunak's historic run as the first member of Parliament of Indian heritage to compete for the top job at 10 Downing Street.

For pollsters, political analysts and media outlets it came as little surprise as Truss was widely expected to beat 42-year-old Sunak in pre-poll surveys and bookmaker odds on the race. A combination of the Tory membership base's lingering loyalty towards outgoing Prime Minister Johnson, whom they see as being betrayed by former close ally Sunak, and Truss' pledge to cut taxes are among the key factors behind the British Indian MP failing to clinch the race.

While the over 1.5-million-strong Indian diaspora stood firmly behind the UK-born MP for Richmond in Yorkshire, other sections of the Conservative Party including those who trace their roots to other parts of the sub-continent were expected to be more divided.

Truss' campaign pledge to reverse Sunak's tax hike plans while he was Chancellor to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing the country seems to have worked in favour. While Sunak's approach of wanting to focus on fighting soaring inflation and using targeted measures to offer support to those most in need did connect with audiences at the nearly dozen party hustings, that clearly wasn't enough to turn the tide in his favour.

Liz Truss has become the 15th UK prime minister during the reign of head of state Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch will ask Truss to form a government on Tuesday, once Boris Johnson has formally tendered his resignation. Here is a list of the previous occupants of 10 Downing Street since the queen came to the throne in 1952.

• Winston Churchill (Conservative, 1951-55)
• Anthony Eden (Conservative, 1955-57)
• Harold Macmillan (Conservative, 1957-63)
• Alec Douglas-Home (Conservative, 1963-64)
• Harold Wilson (Labour, 1964-70)
• Edward Heath (Conservative, 1970-74)
• Harold Wilson (Labour, 1974-76)
• James Callaghan (Labour, 1976-79)
• Margaret Thatcher (Conservative, 1979-90)
• John Major (Conservative, 1990-97)
• Tony Blair (Labour, 1997-2007)
• Gordon Brown (Labour, 2007-10)
• David Cameron (Conservative, 2010-16)
• Theresa May (Conservative, 2016-19)
• Boris Johnson (Conservative, 2019-22)