Indian People Are Ready To Deny Third Term To Narendra Modi As PM

By Sushil Kutty

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 ‘India Today Polls’ says the “triggering factors” are inflation and the Modi Government’s down in the dumps mishandling of the second Covid wave, which saw dead bodies floating, and riverfronts-turned-burial grounds, at about the time when an elated Modi was expressing joy to the 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. Even otherwise, Covid-19 had sucked the oxygen out of it (the chest). 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 ‘bakht’ 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. Third spot goes to Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, who is the “first choice” for PM of 10 percent people. Modi beat Rahul by 14 percent. The BJP and Modi consider Rahul Gandhi as a Congress prop who’ll never make the grade.

The standard joke is that whenever Rahul Gandhi’s name is taken along with that of Modi, it’s an affirmation that as long as Rahul’s in the field, Modi can never lose; there’s no way the Congress will trounce the BJP, and Narendra Modi will always be the mood of the nation!

So, we have three men in the race for Prime Minister – the ‘first’, ‘second’ and ‘third’ choices. Of the trio, Modi must be the most disheartened after the polls. Modi is the sort who likes a clear field. If not that, at least with a clear lead! But third-time running has caught him napping, when he should have been wide awake. In other words, Modi walked into a ‘Not Best Choice for PM’ poll with eyes wide open, and won!

The ‘India Today Polls’ says that unlike Narendra Modi, both Yogi Adityanath and Rahul Gandhi have seen a rise in their popularity. The Yogi, up from 3 percent last year; Rahul Gandhi, up from 8 percent. The only difference is that while Yogi Adityanath is a sitting Chief Minister, Rahul Gandhi is ‘chief aspirant’ for what only Rahul Gandhi knows!

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 the Yogi, 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 Opposition parties stand to win if they find the single ‘strongest’ candidate to take on the BJP candidate in each and every constituency. But that’s an Alice in Wonderland scenario even Lewis Carroll wouldn’t dare visualize.

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 2-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! (IPA Service)