78 percent don't want land bill, 63 percent say Modi's image anti-poor: Survey

A whopping 78 percent respondents have demanded the NDA government withdraw its land acquisition bill, said an opinion poll released on Monday with nearly half of the those surveyed saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity has declined and 63 percent saying that his image appears to be anti-poor and anti-farmer.

A nationwide India TV-C Voter opinion poll, telecast on Monday, said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj leads the union ministers in terms of performance.

"In a severe dent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's image, a whopping 78 percent of the people who responded to a nationwide India TV-C Voter opinion poll have demanded that the centre should withdraw the controversial land acquisition bill," said an India TV release.

It said that 63 percent of the respondents conveyed that Modi government's image at present appears to be anti-poor and anti-farmer, while as many as 48 percent of the respondents said that Prime Minister Modi's popularity has declined in the last one year.

Giving region-wise break-up, the survey said 65 percent of respondents in north India, 52 percent in the west, 34 percent in the east, and 38 percent in the south felt that Modi's popularity has declined.

"External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj led the union ministers in respect of performance, with 56 percent saying her performance was 'good', 31 percent terming it 'average' and 13 percent rating her performance as 'poor'," the release said.

She was followed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, whose performance was rated good by 50 percent of the respondents, average by 36 percent and poor by 14 percent, and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (49, 28 percent and 23 percent respectively).

On the other hand only 44 and 40 percent respectively held Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari's performances as "good", 35 and 38 percent respectively as average and 21 and 22 percent as poor.

As many as 59 percent of the respondents said they were satisfied with Modi's one-year rule, but 41 percent said they are not, the survey said.

The breakup was a whopping 82 percent in eastern India, 59 percent in the south and 57 percent in the west but only 44 percent in north India.

On specific issues, 64 percent said inflation has not dipped during the last one year while a similar number said they were satisfied with the government's efforts to bring back black money.

The survey said 51 percent of the respondents said that corruption has declined in the last one year.

Asked about Modi's schemes they considered the best, 46 percent opted for Swachh Bharat, 19 percent opted for Jan Dhan Yojana, 18 percent liked 'Make in India', 11 percent opted for 'Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana' and six percent for none of above, the release added.

Asked about the effect of Modi's performance on the forthcoming Bihar assembly polls, 52 percent said that it will have "a good effect" while 45 percent replied in the negative.