A recent pre-poll survey conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Lokniti has unveiled the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) favour among four out of every ten respondents. This tilt affords the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) a 12-point advantage over the opposing INDIA bloc.
The survey, spanning March 28 to April 8 across 19 states, reveals that 21% of respondents expressed a preference for the Congress if elections were held immediately. Additionally, 13% leaned towards Congress allies, while 6% favoured the BJP’s allies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains popularity for the prime ministerial role, with 48% of respondents indicating a preference for him. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, trails in second place with 27% of respondents favouring him.
However, despite Modi’s popularity, only 23% of respondents expressed full trust in his assurances, compared to 17% for Gandhi.
The survey also brings to light mixed sentiments regarding the performance of the BJP-led Central government, with only 23% of respondents indicating satisfaction. Livelihood-related issues such as unemployment and inflation emerge as significant factors contributing to voter dissatisfaction.
In comparison to the 2019 pre-poll survey, there has been a slight decline in voter satisfaction with the Central government, dropping from 65% to 57%. Conversely, the percentage of dissatisfied voters has risen from 30% to 39%, with southern regions of the country expressing more dissatisfaction compared to the north and west.
Reasons cited for dissatisfaction include unemployment, rising prices, and declining income. Conversely, those willing to grant the BJP government another chance pointed to perceived good work, welfare schemes, and admiration for Modi’s leadership.
Notably, the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir emerged as the government’s most admired work according to many respondents.
