The leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage is to run for parliament in Britain's 2015 election after his party confirmed him as their candidate for an English constituency.
Farage, who is a Member of the European Parliament, will campaign for a seat currently held by the Conservative party, South Thanet, in a south eastern region where UKIP performed strongly in European parliament elections in May.
UKIP currently has no seats in the British parliament, but is hoping to make electoral gains on a platform of curtailing immigration and an exit from the European Union.
Farage was confirmed as the expected choice out of four party candidates in a local hustings event.
Local party members gave Farage thunderous applause and chanted "Nigel, Nigel, Nigel" after he gave his acceptance speech.
Farrage described the fight to win the seat as a "big challenge" but said it was one that he would relish.
"I'm going to have to fight very very hard... but I believe I can do it," Farage told BBC News, saying the Conservative and Labour parties would "fight like crazy" to oppose him.
The Conservative party has chosen a former UKIP leader who defected to their party, Craig MacKinlay, to run for the seat.
UKIP aims to win enough seats to influence the formation of a government in 2015 in the event of a hung parliament.
"UKIP is going to win seats in Westminster next year. I don't know at the moment how many we'll win, but... if things really go well [supporters] will be voting for a party that will hold the balance of power after May 2015," Farage said.
In the previous election in 2010, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron formed a coalition government with the support of the Liberal Democrats.
