Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Survey Shows Modi Decline, BJP Losses, Congress Gains Ahead
A survey asked people whom they would prefer as India’s prime minister.
Support for Narendra Modi fell from 55% to 49%.
Rahul Gandhi’s support stayed at 27%.
The survey also estimated how many parliamentary seats each major party might win.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s estimate fell by 24 seats.
The Indian National Congress’s estimate rose by 26 seats.
This means some party support may have moved toward Congress without making Rahul Gandhi more popular as an individual.
The article says these results raise questions about what they could mean for the 2029 election.
A Mood of the Nation survey found Narendra Modi’s preferred-prime-minister rating fell from 55% to 49%.
Rahul Gandhi’s preference rating remained unchanged at 27% between January and August 2026.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s projected Lok Sabha seats fell by 24 to 261.
The Indian National Congress gained 26 projected seats, reaching 106.
The survey shows BJP losses and Congress gains, but Modi remains far ahead of Rahul Gandhi as the preferred prime minister.
- Who
- Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress.
- What
- A survey reported a decline in Modi’s preferred-prime-minister rating, unchanged support for Gandhi, and shifting projected seat totals between the BJP and Congress.
- When
- The comparison covers January to August 2026.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- The results are being examined for what they may indicate about political trends before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
- Survey
- Mood of the Nation, conducted by India Today and CVoter.
- Modi preference
- Declined from 55% to 49%.
- Rahul Gandhi preference
- Stayed at 27%.
- BJP projection
- Fell by 24 seats to 261.
- Congress projection
- Rose by 26 seats to 106.
- Election discussed
- The 2029 Lok Sabha elections.