00:00Best suited to be next PM. Narendra Modi 49%. Rahul Gandhi 27%. Since you mentioned Rahul Gandhi, sir.
00:09Joseph Vijay has come in as the new entrant. I don't think in India today mood of the nation and
00:15even factored him till the other day at 9%.
00:18Now majority or large number may be from Tamil Nadu.
00:29Now this is of course a direct question. Best suited to be next PM.
00:34Rahul Gandhi's performance as LOP. Outstanding was 24% Jan 2026. August 2026 remains almost the same 23.
00:42Good then was 20. Now they say 25%. Add the two. There is a markup but not significant about 4
00:49% in all.
00:50Average 18% then. 18% now. Poor 17. Very poor. Sorry. Poor 14. Very poor 13. Best suited to
01:00lead India block.
01:01Rahul Gandhi is at 29%. See Joseph Vijay is coming at 12%. This is first day, first show, big hit.
01:11Mamda Banerjee is at 9%. Best suited to lead Congress. Rahul Gandhi 41%.
01:18Priyanka Gandhi 7%. Now is this the coming again of Rahul Gandhi or is he where he is?
01:27Basically, before is it coming of age of Rahul Gandhi once again.
01:31Yes.
01:32Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains on top of the pack after 12 years of being Prime Minister and there is
01:39no one anywhere close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
01:42You know, Prime Minister, if I may, is at 48.7 and Rahul Gandhi 21 points behind him.
01:49Then, let's, you know, just a point of clarification that it is correct that the Prime Minister is very high
01:54at 48.7.
01:55Though, when you compare to the earlier poll in February, he drops away about 5 to 6%.
02:01Let's say Donald Trump would be very happy with these numbers because he's in the low 25s, 30s, so 48
02:06% is very good.
02:07But if you take a look at Prime Minister Modi's track record, he normally goes right up to 50, 60,
02:1370%.
02:13So, this time, he needs to be concerned that it is dropping a little below.
02:18His highest approval rate was around 70% at one stage.
02:21Yes, it was at one stage.
02:22In your mood of the nation, it's down today to 51%.
02:24But as Gaurav says, if you ask a direct question, 49% say Modi's, 27% say Rahul Gandhi.
02:30No, that's the point that you have to look at, is that, yes, Prime Minister's popularity or whatever it is
02:35drops a bit by 6%.
02:36That 6% doesn't go to Rahul Gandhi.
02:39Instead, it goes to all the other leaders that's there.
02:42The second point I think you need to look at, and that is what I think is changing a lot
02:46of the polls,
02:46is what you mentioned earlier about the biggest achievements of the NDA government.
02:50I think we haven't discussed that, but if you look, political stability is one that you mentioned.
02:55Ram Temple is the other.
02:56Infrastructure development is the third.
02:59What is happening now, because of the Gen Z agitation,
03:02is that the first big thing that the NDA government provided us was political stability.
03:07That is beginning to show cracks, because status quo is no more being accepted.
03:12But Raj, those numbers are not out yet.
03:13We're going to know.
03:14I think you're here.
03:15Yeah, I did.
03:16Biggest achievement is at 13%.
03:17Yes, go ahead.
03:18So, therefore, if you look at that, political stability, as an ace in them,
03:23begins to have a little crack, because Gen Z is asking for enough of status quo, let's go for change.
03:28We're going to look at the Gen Z numbers in a moment.
03:30Just take a look at Ram Temple.
03:32Again, a great achievement.
03:34Didn't bring them the numbers.
03:35But this time, if you look at what is coming up,
03:38is that people say that the Chandachori thing has impacted the Modi government's and Yogi government's image,
03:46which could have an implication that's there.
03:47And finally, this point of infrastructure development.
03:50Okay?
03:52No doubt that Prime Minister Modi, and particularly under Gadkari and others,
03:56there's been phenomenal amount of growth of roads under Mr. Vaishnav, railways and others.
04:01But the Gen Z is saying, that's great, but are you giving me jobs?
04:06And secondly, what was seen as very important in terms of roads and everything else, is now seen, look...
04:13All that is taken.
04:15Why is this not necessarily benefiting...
04:18You see, Rahul Gandhi's performance, Congress is getting about 21% of the vote.
04:23Others are about in 10 to 12%.
04:25Large amounts of Congress voters are choosing Rahul Gandhi.
04:28He is not getting additional incremental voters.
04:32The BJP voters, those who switched to the BJP over the last 12 years,
04:36are not looking at Rahul Gandhi as an alternative.
04:39So, why is that...
04:40Modi has warning signals.
04:42There are warning signals there for the Congress and Rahul as well.
04:44There is a rationary tale which is built in right here.
04:46Quickly, yeah, we've got two minutes only.
04:47One by one.
04:48Yes, Mario.
04:49There is electoral dominance of the BJP, that's given.
04:52Yes.
04:52But now people are questioning whether electoral dominance is also linked to public trust.
04:58And at the same time, when public trust is there, does it have to do as much with governance?
05:04Or is the public trust also demanding...
05:07Why is Rahul Gandhi not getting the benefit of these weaknesses in the BJP?
05:11That's the question that is there.
05:12Let's pull out the numbers of best suited to be the next Prime Minister.
05:16And this is the cautionary tale which has been built in.
05:19C. Joseph Vijay, 9%.
05:21Abhiji Dipke, 1.3%.
05:23Over 10% of the people here, Rajdeep.
05:25And who defines this gentry?
05:27It is the Gen Z.
05:28If you remember, C. Joseph Vijay was the spark which led to the entire...
05:32How much did we debate about the Gen Z propelling C. Joseph Vijay to be the Chief Minister?
05:37And this is the lot which doesn't seemingly have as much faith in Rahul Gandhi
05:42as somebody new who they can...
05:44So the challenge for Rahul Gandhi, correct me if I'm wrong,
05:48the challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to start getting the entire cohort
05:51of those who are disgruntled or frustrated or anxious about the future...
05:58Rahul Gandhi has a role for Rahul Gandhi.
06:02I think it is weird here, Rajdeep.
06:04What I want to please.
06:05But it doesn't mean that I'm moving through switches.
06:07What I want to why the viewers won't know what you're saying.
06:08Raj, just asking you a quick question.
06:10Break the data down of C. Joseph Vijay because I was looking at the micro-detailing of your data.
06:14It really, the popularity doesn't really come from Tamil Nadu.
06:17It comes from the Northeast.
06:18So there is a section, Rajdeep, that is looking at new alternatives and they are quite...
06:24You see, again, that's not...
06:25See, Joseph Vijay is not a contender in the Northeast.
06:27The point I'm making...
06:28But he's popular.
06:29No, the bigger point is...
06:31The point is, if you have to win an election,
06:33you have to start getting a large chunk of the anti-BJP vote gravitating to...
06:37And is he a 24-7 political leader if Rahul Gandhi is not a 24-7 political leader?
06:43So where do we get the votes from?
06:45So even if the voters...
06:47Yes, just a minute.
06:48Firstly, Vijay replaces, in some senses, Kejriwal.
06:51Because earlier, Kejriwal is together at 8%.
06:53So that has moved over there.
06:55Now, as you rightly said, they have to attract...
06:58Rahul Gandhi has to attract all those who are fleeing the BJP, if they are fleeing that.
07:04I think Maria makes a very good point.
07:05The BJP is highly resilient.
07:07It hasn't collapsed in a way.
07:09Don't ever imagine that through these polls.
07:11It has just dipped a bit.
07:13It's still very strong where it is.
07:15So Rahul Gandhi has to eat into the BJP warts.
07:18He has also to capture the imagination of the young,
07:20which right now, the alternatives seem...
07:22So we'll take...
