Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the most popular celebrity of the year for the majority (40 percent) of people across the country, a survey released on January 6 has found.
The prime minister is followed by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Indian cricket captains Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and former captain MS Dhoni have also featured in the popular celebrities, according to the survey by Axis My India, a leading consumer data intelligence company.
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The latest findings are in what the company calls the India Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues.
The survey also found that a majority (82 percent) of the respondents agreed efforts should be made to give a vaccine booster dose to people instead of exporting vaccines to other nations amid the fear in the wake of surge in COVID-19 cases due to the new Omicron variant.
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“The survey finds that PM Modi is overwhelmingly popular across the country and the most recognisable face in India. 40 per cent of the total people surveyed have picked him, far higher than any other personality on the list,” said Pradeep Gupta, CMD, Axis My India, said.Virat Kohli stood second at 4 per cent followed by Yogi Adityanath at 3 per cent.
“Modi’s popularity seems to be growing at a time when world leaders are facing dwindling popularity. This poll is yet another demonstration of Modi’s grasp over the pulse of the nation,” Gupta said.
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The surveys were carried out via computer- aided telephonic interviews with a sample size of 10,563 people across 36 states. At least 71 per cent respondents were from rural India while 29 per cent belonged from urban counterparts. As many as 64 per cent of the respondents were male while 36 per cent of the respondents were female
Among other findings, gauging concern regarding the new variant of the virus, 52 per cent believed that the opening up of the economy will get affected by Omicron, while 23 per cent was unsure of its impact on the economy or was of the view that the economy will remain unaffected.
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“A majority of 82 per cent believes that with regards to the upcoming virus variant, vaccine booster dose should be given to the countrymen instead of exporting vaccines to other countries,” the survey said.
The survey found that a majority (71 per cent) strongly believed that 2022 will be much better than 2021 on an all-encompassing basis.
