India’s Mood Decoded: Yashwant Deshmukh on Brand Modi After Operation Sindoor & Trump’s Tariff War

Deshmukh revealed that despite global and domestic challenges, Modi retains over 50% popularity, far ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s 25%. However, he identified seven warning signals for the government—primarily rising unemployment, household budget stress, and a public perception that policies favor big business. He noted that Operation Sindur gave only a brief popularity spike, unlike the sustained post-Balakot surge.

Interestingly, 63% of respondents want the INDIA bloc to continue, showing people desire a stronger opposition, though they still see Rahul Gandhi trailing Modi by 27 points. On global issues, 70% back India’s stand to keep buying Russian oil despite Trump’s tariffs, showing strong nationalist sentiment and resistance to external pressure.

In conclusion, Ms. Barkha Dutt underlined that while brand Modi remains strong, the government must acknowledge economic concerns rather than deny them, and the opposition must avoid personal attacks on Modi if it seeks to gain ground.