Chances of Rishi Sunak's return look grim as UK goes to polls on July 4

The United Kingdom is set to choose its next prime minister on July 4, as voting begins following the conclusion of the final campaign for the general elections.

Although Indian-origin Rishi Sunak, the current Prime Minister from Britain's Conservative Party, is eyeing a second term, the opposing Labour Party is widely expected to come to power with a landslide victory.

There is a wave of anti-incumbency among Britons as the Tories have been in power for 14 years. Around 46.5 million people are eligible to vote in the election, where they will vote for members of Parliament across 650 constituencies. A majority requires 326 seats in the first past the post system.

Sunak, 44, who maintained that he is fighting hard, was trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer-led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. One of Sunak's closest allies also said that the Tories were on the road to an extraordinary defeat and a Labour government is expected to return after 14 years of Conservative rule.

“This is what unites us. We need to stop the Labour supermajority that will put up your taxes. The only way to do that is to vote Conservative tomorrow,” said Sunak on social media.

Both leaders finished their poll pitches with contrasting messages. While Sunak urged voters not to hand a "supermajority" to “tax-raising” Labour, Starmer tempered the prospect of a landslide win fearing a low turnout which could impact the outcome.

Around 40,000 polling booths will open nationwide at 7 am local time as voters will come to mark a cross next to their chosen candidate on a paper ballot. Carrying an identification document to the polling booth has become compulsory in elections this year, open to all registered adult voters in the UK, including Indians as Commonwealth citizens.

The booths will officially close at 10 pm local time, and the counting will commence with the first results expected just before midnight local time.

The polls were called by Sunak months earlier than necessary which caught much of his party by surprise. On May 30, the current parliament was dissolved after the election dates were announced.

In the last General Election held in 2019, the Conservative Party won 365 seats while the Labour Party finished at 202 seats.