With the Lok Sabha elections approaching in 2024, a survey showed that Indians continue to be divided on a "viable alternative" to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a national level. The survey was conducted by YouGov, Mint and the Centre for Policy Research, and reported on by Mint, that polled 9,698 people.
The survey that asked the respondents what they would choose as a viable alternative to the BJP, showed that 30-35% respondents chose the ‘don’t know’ option, 25-30% chose ‘a new national alternative’ like AAP, and 20-25% chose the Congress while 15-20% chose a coalition of regional parties.
According to the survey, only 40% supporters of the Congress saw the party as a viable alternative to the BJP. On the party's recent attempts to revive itself, 53% respondents still the saw the party as dynastic and 52% felt that the party was playing the "victim card" to garner more media coverage. Similarly, half of the respondents felt that Rahul Gandhi was incapable of reviving the party and that the Bharat Jodo Yatra was primarily focussed on building his own brand.
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), more than half of the respondents (53%) said that the party should have its own "concrete ideology", similar to the BJP or the Left parties, while the rest said it should remain flexible, the survey said. However, unlike Congress, 60% supporters of AAP saw it as a viable alternative to the BJP. While around 53% respondents were appreciative of Arvind Kejriwal's leadership in that it was responsible for AAP's growth, the other 47% were critical of his role, the survey said.
"The survey suggests that there is no overwhelming consensus among the public in identifying an alternative to the BJP," it said.
