Modi government’s popularity at highest since the start of the pandemic: Survey

• Image Credit: Internet

• May 30, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

The growing approval comes as India’s retail inflation tracks an eight-year high. This politically sensitive issue has seen Modi’s government instituted a series of measures to restrict exports of wheat and sugar and rein in any further price increases.

Digital Desk: Approval
ratings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government have risen to the highest
since the pandemic. However, there are persisting concerns over the surging
prices of essential items and unemployment, as the latest survey showed on
Monday.

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color:#0E101A">Modi’s government has met or exceeded expectations in the second
term, according to 67% of 64,000 people polled by Local Circles. That’s a jump
from 51% last year when a brutal second wave of Covid-19 infections overwhelmed
hospitals and crematoriums and 62% in 2020 when the pandemic started.

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The people surveyed said
the government was better prepared to handle the third wave of Covid-19
infections and had effectively managed the economy. Yet there were concerns
over unemployment staying around 7% since the start of the year, with 47% of
those polled saying India hasn’t been able to address the issue.

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However, there’s also
been an increase in confidence in the government’s handling of joblessness,
with 37% showing approval. That’s a rise from 27% in 2021 and 29% in 2020,
where there were drastic lockdowns that saw migrant workers lose their jobs in
cities though rural jobs guarantee program helped.

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color:#0E101A">The growing approval comes as India’s retail inflation tracks an
eight-year high. This politically sensitive issue has seen Modi’s government
instituted a series of measures to restrict exports of wheat and sugar and rein
in any further price increases.

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The survey reflected the
issue, with 73% of Indians saying the price of essential commodities and living
costs haven’t fallen in the past three years, a key flashpoint for Modi,
seeking a third term in elections due in 2024.

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color:#0E101A">Here are some of the other findings from the survey, which was
published as he completed eight years in office on May 30:

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• 73%
  said they were optimistic about their future and their families in India.

• 44% believed the government didn’t take enough measures to improve air quality and reduce pollution.
  

• 60% of those surveyed said the government has effectively improved communal harmony, while 33% disagreed.

• More than 50% said doing business in India has become easier.