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Narendra Modi remains most popular leader; Rahul improves ratings: Survey

Modi continues to dominate the popularity charts despite a marginal dip

Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Congress President Rahul Gandhi | PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to dominate the popularity charts despite a marginal dip in his rating recently, says a survey. Modi's rating has begun to slide from the high of around 60 per cent seen on March 4, 5, 6 and 7 to around 56 per cent, according to the 'state of the nation' tracker poll by CVOTER-IANS.

The survey was based on the data collected till March 14. The prime minister's popularity graph had witnessed a spike in the following week of India's air strike at Balakot in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

India goes to the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls from April 11 to May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. While Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party are looking for a second term, the Congress-led opposition is in an all out effort to cobble up a grand alliance to unseat the government.

According the survey, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's popularity rating, which had gone down to less than three per cent in the first week of March, showed a marginal signs of recovery.

Rahul Gandhi has improved marginally to around 7 per cent though it remains much below around 20 per cent support he enjoyed in his best days in January 2019, says an IANS report.

It says over 50 per cent of the respondents are still remain “very satisfied” in the prime minister's work. However, Modi's net approval rating, which was in 60s in the first week of March, has come down to 56 on March 14, says the report.

Over 40 per cent of the respondents continue to believe that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance can run better coalition.

Another survey conducted by the Political Stock Exchange (PSE) says 52 per cent of the respondents prefer Narendra Modi as the next prime minister while 33 per cent want Rahul Gandhi in the top post.