NEW DEHLI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been hit hard due to his poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis at home, as a recent survey indicated his popularity graph had fallen to 24% from 66% a year ago.
According to an Indian media report, the primary reason for the fall in ratings was attributed by respondents to the COVID-19 crisis. The South Asian nation has been hit hard by the pandemic, with over 32 million cases and more than 433,000 deaths reported ever since the first case was reported in the country.
The findings of India Today’s “Mood of the Nation” survey were released earlier this week, showing people are extremely unhappy with the National Democratic Alliance government over the surging inflation and the government’s failure to control the price hike.
“While Modi was lauded for his handling of the first wave with a high 73% approval rating in January 2021, the disruption experienced during the second wave has seen that figure drop to 49%,” the report said.
As many as 27% of those who participated in the survey said that large gatherings, including election rallies, were responsible for the second wave of the pandemic in India. About 26% said that it was caused due to blatant disregard of the COVID-appropriate behaviour.
