Though the top Tory leadership is maintaining a passive silence on their next move and continuance of Sunak in office till the final general election is held, what is absolutely clear is that he has lost the support of the decision-makers and Conservative financers.

Tory donors nurse the feeling that Sunak has lost touch with the ground and is more interested in toeing USA’s political and economic line than working to find solutions to the problems faced by average Britons. The results reflect double trouble for the British-Indian leader, as the Conservatives had won both seats by decisive margins in the last general election under Boris Johnson in December 2019.

Sunak trying to identify with the rightist ideas and policies of the USA has severely damaged his reputation and image. Notably, a section of UK media likes to describe him “British-Indian”. What does it imply? There is a lurking impression that he is too close to the rightist Indian leader Narendra Modi. Of course, the Conservative party has strong political lineage in the rightist ideology and philosophy, but its leadership isn’t as orthodox in their approach and functioning as Modi.

Sunak has suffered two heavy blows to his leadership ahead of a general election later this year as the opposition Labour Party grabbed two wins. Labour's Dan Egan won the House of Commons seat of Kingswood, south-west England, and the party's Gen Kitchen won Wellingborough, in the East Midlands region of England. Another emerging trend saw the far-right Reform UK – the re-organised anti-immigration Brexit Party – coming third, ahead of the Liberal Democrats and Green Party.

Ground for Tory defeat from Kingswood was laid out by Sunak himself. Tory leader Chris Skidmore had resigned as an MP in protest over Sunak's green policies. True enough, it was shaping up well. Last year in July, Sunak had signalled the government could delay or even abandon green policies that impose a direct cost on consumers, as he comes under pressure from the Conservative right to create a dividing line with Labour in the next election. He had also said the drive to reach the UK’s net zero targets should not “unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives”, as he rethinks his green agenda after last week’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election. In Wellingborough, the voter followed Tory MP Peter Bone being recalled by his constituency over claims of bullying and sexually inappropriate behaviour, which he denies.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed: "The Tories have failed, Rishi's recession proves that. Labour is back in the service of working people." He may sound correct. But the Tory leadership is not willing to oblige Starmer. Undeniably, the twin defeats have come as a major blow for the Tories as they prepare for a general election, which Sunak, 43, has indicated will be held in the second half of the year.

The major reason for the defeat of Tory candidates is being cited by seasoned pollsters and Tory leaders is, averseness of the Tory members to vote for the party which is presently is being perceived as under the control of Sunak. Conservative MP and former minister in Boris Johnson's Cabinet, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg holds the Kingswood result was "not as bad as I'd expected", as Tory voters appeared to have stayed at home. Though he was not too harsh on Sunak, he obviously deflected the reason for voters staying at home.

Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University pointed out: “The party will be concerned not only by having lost these seats, but also by the scale and manner of its defeats. Its share of the vote fell by a whopping 37.6 points in Wellingborough, the biggest drop the party has ever suffered in a byelection it was defending".

Rishi Sunak is facing questions from inside his party on the loss of two seats. Some senior members those who guide the functioning of the party nurse the view that Tory must have some other leader to lead the party at general election. They are not sure that Sunak could counter the challenge of Labour leader Starmer. His pledge to reduce irregular migration by stopping small boats crossing into England from France is being undermined as a key government deportation policy is repeatedly held up because of accusations it breaches international law. In the past Tory used to beat the Labour on these issues. But now they are on defensive mode.

A big chunk of Conservatives believe that the party leadership is increasingly out-of-touch and wrecking its own electoral prospects. They think Sunak – the richest person to ever hold the office of Prime Minister – is not an appropriate leader at a time when so many people in the UK are struggling financially. Sunak’s pledge for reforms have not materialise don the ground.

The Tory insiders believe that the demand for Sunak’s resignation might have cropped up in the wake of the twin defeats, but it is the absence of the replacement that is delaying the move. Who exactly would replace Sunak is not clear. Boris Johnson no longer sits in parliament, so it would be very hard to bring him back in time for the next election. He is also not as universally popular as his own diehard loyalists claim.

It is also alleged that he is not a team leader. He has not taken pains to keep the party together. This is another reason that Sunak has been consistently losing support at the ground level. Sunak committed major mistake by openly supporting Israel’s aggression against Hamas. It is felt he should have treaded cautiously. His action gave the impression that he was supporting Zionism, which cannot be the policy of a British political party seeking power in Britain. Political experts feel that the situation in Israel, particularly with regard to the rights of Palestinians, is far too complex for such a bold position to be adopted, especially when so many people are convinced that some form of two-state solution is the only eventual answer to the problems faced in that area.

For Labour leader, Keir Starmer defeat of Tory has come as the message “the country is crying out for change”. He described his party’s performance in the elections as “fantastic.” In a statement, he said it showed that “people are ready to put their trust in a Labour government.” Labour exploited the internal dissent in the Conservative rank and also shrinking economy and discontent over a crisis gripping the country’s health system.

Nevertheless, the possibility of Sunak being purged is the hot topic for discussion in the political and domestic circles. If the party can drive out the last two Conservative leaders, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, it can also take steps against Sunak. The internal division resulting from the fear of losing the general election is likely to further drag down the Conservative vote. (IPA Service)