Narendra Modi remains India's PM choice at 48.7%, but mood shows a shift: MOTN

While there has been a marginal dip in Narendra Modi's popularity, the larger picture points to India's continued trust in the prime minister at a time when the world is lurching from one crisis to the next.Narendra Modi continues to be the most preferred choice for the country’s top postNarendra Modi remains the undisputed choice as the next prime minister, according to the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey. There's a slight dip, though, in the popularity of the 75-year-old who has led the BJP's 12-year electoral juggernaut. Rahul Gandhi holds on to the second spot, with his numbers largely unchanged from the January 2026 survey. However, a new face has entered the top three - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief Vijay, who is rapidly carving out his own space in politics.Around 48.7% of those surveyed picked Modi as best suited for the top job - a drop of nearly six percentage points from the 55% who supported him during the January MOTN survey. While understandably there has been a shift, the larger picture points to India's continued trust in Modi at a time when the world is lurching from one crisis to the next.Ever since he came to power by upstaging the UPA in 2014, Modi's leadership has come to symbolise stability. It was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as during the recent Iran conflict, where India's move to diversify its energy basket held it in good stead as parts of the world grappled with a fuel shortage.However, the marginal dip in his popularity, as per the MOTN poll, suggests that anti-incumbency may be creeping in. In fact, it is the first time since the August 2024 MOTN survey that Modi's rating has dropped below 50%. - EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Aug 27, 2026 19:30 IST