Narendra Modi continues to be the most preferred candidate for Prime Minister of India, with 48.7% support according to the latest India Today Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey. This figure represents a marginal dip in his popularity. Rahul Gandhi trails as the second most preferred choice. The survey, updated on August 27, 2026, highlights India's ongoing trust in Modi amidst global crises.
The broader Mood of the Nation survey reveals that Prime Minister Modi leads the race for the next Prime Minister with 49% support, while Rahul Gandhi garners 27%. A new entrant, actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, has emerged with 9% support, surpassing Arvind Kejriwal who has 1.2%. Despite Modi's significant lead, his approval rating has fallen by six points to 58% compared to January 2026, with 51% rating his performance as good, 17% as average, and 27% as poor.
Voters moving away from the BJP are not consistently shifting their support to Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi receives 29% support to lead the INDIA bloc and 41% to lead the Congress party. Analysts note that emerging figures like Vijay are attracting younger voters and Gen Z, who are seeking change. This trend poses a challenge for Gandhi in consolidating the anti-BJP vote share.
Key concerns for voters include price rise, cited as the biggest failure of the government at 23%, followed by unemployment at 16%, and economic growth at 14%. Conversely, political stability was identified as the NDA government's biggest achievement at 13%, with the Ram Temple and infrastructure each at 11%. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is projected to secure 326 seats with a 45% vote share if elections were held today, a drop from previous projections but still above the majority mark. The BJP alone is projected to win 261 seats, falling just short of an independent majority. The INDIA Alliance is projected to secure 185 seats with a 39% vote share, and the Congress party is projected to gain 26 seats, reaching 106 seats.
