London: Former UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday won the latest round in the contest to be elected as the new Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister replacing Boris Johnson.
With Kemi Badenoch eliminated from the contest, it is now down to three contenders.
Rishi Sunak received 118 votes in the fourth round of voting by his party members, just missing the 120-vote or one-third of Conservative Party MPs to secure his position as one of the final candidates in the race to succeed Boris Johnson.
The British Indian former Chancellor raised his tally from Monday’s 115, while Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt got 92 votes and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss 86 votes leaving the race to clinch second place still open.
The final two candidates will be known after a fifth round of voting on Wednesday, at the end of which the race will be taken over by the Conservative Party headquarters to organize hustings in different parts of the UK.