A global attitudes and trends survey conducted by Pew Research Centre among 2.464 respondents in India from April 7 to May 24, 2016, has found that Prime Minister Modi continues to have popular support in India.
“Two years into his tenure, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to ride a wave of public good feeling about the way things are going in India, the state of the domestic economy and his own stewardship of the country,” the report said.
According to the research, two out of three Indians are satisfied with direction of the country and eight out of ten think the economy is doing well. About 81% have a favourable view of Modi. But the research found that the Gandhis were also popular.
“Modi and the BJP enjoy overwhelming support among men and women, from people of all ages, educational backgrounds and income levels, and among people in rural and urban areas. Even a majority of backers of the rival Indian National Congress party (INC) express a positive view of Modi and the BJP,” the report said.
However, partisanship is growing. “Views of Modi’s performance are increasingly partisan as the divide grows between how BJP supporters and Indian National Congress adherents judge his achievements. When it comes to views of his leadership, roughly six-in-ten Indians who identify with the BJP see Modi as a unifying figure who stands up for what he believes and gets things done. Only about four-in-ten Congress adherents agree.”
Indians are also positive about the ‘growing role’ of the country at the global stage. “Roughly half are supportive of India’s burgeoning international economic engagement and are committed to their allies. At the same time, the public is wary of China and longtime rival Pakistan. They favor a militaristic stance against terrorism and support increased defense spending. But only about a quarter want their country to help other nations deal with their problems,” the report said.