A Year As Indian PM, Modi's Government Gets Favourable Response

By M.Santhiran NEW DELHI, May 26 (Bernama) -- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi received favourable response from respondents in an opinion poll conducted by Times Now, a leading news channel in India. Of the 75,000 respondents interviewed, 62.5 per cent agreed that the current government was doing a better job compared with the previous government of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The results of the poll also showed an approval rate of 66.2 per cent to Modi's leadership, compared with 22.1 to his predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh of the Congress Party in the UPA government. It was reported that the snap poll was the most comprehensive survey ever carried out since last year's general election. The poll result was announced by the channel within hours after Modi addressed a public rally in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, about 160 kilometres from here. The prime minister spoke at a rally to mark the first anniversary of his government in Chandrabhan village where he told the crowd, mostly the rural poor, that the government under his leadership was free from any major scandal. He said his government was fully committed to eradicate poverty, especially among farmers in the country. In the 2014 general election, BJP secured 282 seats, while Congress succumbed to its worst defeat in the history of Indian politics with 44 seats, out of the 543 seats of the Lok Shaba. However, not everything was rosy and positive for BJP in the survey conducted by Times Now. The Land Bill, seen vital for Modi's government, was viewed by 49.9 per cent of the respondents as going against the interest of farmers. Only 32.9 per cent of the respondents viewed the Bill as favourable for farmers. Modi had been pushing for the the Bill to facilitate the much needed land for various projects and to cater the needs of foreign investors. Meanwhile, the poll result on BJP's slogan in the 2014 Indian general election, "Achhe din anne wale hain" (good days are coming), only 27.7 per cent of the respondents believed that Modi's government had delivered what had been promised. However, they agreed that one year was too short for any government, and believed BJP would deliver all its promises in the next few years. -- BERNAMA