The ‘mood’ does not favour Modi. Support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ebbed. Only 24 percent want to see him PM for a third term. The percentage was 66 a year ago. That is a Niagara Falls magnitude stumble from the heights, a slam-dunk in world wrestling lingo. India Today's ‘Mood of the Nation’ survey says Narendra Modi is not India’s ‘Best Choice for PM’ anymore.
The survey says the “triggering factors” are inflation and the Modi Government’s mishandling of the second Covid wave, which saw dead bodies floating, and riverfronts-turned-burial grounds, at about the time when Modi was addressing massive crowds at his election rallies in West Bengal.
Until last year, Modi was India Today’s ‘Best Choice for PM’. No more so. Nobody took a tape to Modi’s chest, but it's not the boastful 56 inch anymore, that’s for sure.But while the “only 24 percent” support will depress Modi, he can console himself with the alt-reality that Yogi Adityanath is 11 percent in the ‘Best Choice for PM’ line-up.Millions of BJP ‘bhakhts’ are staunch fans of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, and they can’t wait for Modi to call it a day, leave the field clear for the saffron-clad bald wonder.
But 10 months short of the next Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Yogi Adityanath - why even Narendra Modi and the BJP – will worry that the Yogi is only the “seventh best” among the array of chief ministers. MK Stalin, Naveen Patnaik, Uddhav Thackeray, Pinarayi Vijayan, Mamata Banerjee and Hemanta Biswa Sarma have all scored better than him, the ratings arrived at by votes cast in the states they rule. Only 29 percent of UP respondents gave Yogi Adityanath a positive rating.If that does not disappoint Yogi Adityanath, then it’s a new definition of ‘gung-ho’. It’s imperative for Narendra Modi that the BJP does not lose Uttar Pradesh.
The survey says that inflation and unemployment are top priorities for Indians, Modi's Achilles Heel. In six months, the number of people who believed that the economy will “get worse” rose from 17 percent to 32 percent. And only 28 percent think their economic situation has improved after Modi became PM. Also, fewer Indians believe Modi’s “intent” is above suspicion – 60 percent say they don’t believe the Modi Government is doing much about controlling inflation, up from 35 percent in January 2021.
The bottom-line is, if elections were to be held today, tomorrow or even the day after tomorrow, Narendra Modi might not be able to make it to 'third term'. It’s not so much the India Today Polls and the ‘Mood of the Nation’ survey, but the feeling that Narendra Modi seems content with being two-time PM, call it prime-ministerial fatigue, whatever. West Bengal and the COVID-19 second wave were the last two nails. One more hammer blow and that’ll be it, Adieu Mr. M!
