Three weeks before the 2024 general election was to commence, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoyed a comfortable 12 percentage point lead over the rival alliance, INDIA, according to the CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll survey. The Narendra Modi factor continues to play a major role in providing the NDA with its advantage. However, livelihood-related issues are emerging as major concerns in this election. Dissatisfaction over unemployment and inflation among sections of the society indicates that a tough fight is on the cards.
While a significant share of people continues to be satisfied with the NDA government, the numbers have come down compared to the 2019 pre-poll survey. Before the 2019 polls, 65% said they were “somewhat” or “fully” satisfied with the government. In 2024, the share of such respondents has come down to 57%. The share of those “somewhat” or “fully” dissatisfied has increased from 30% to 39%. Notably, the degree of satisfaction was markedly lower among the southern regions compared to the north and the west.
