Let us first look at the good news for the PM.

The intense media speculation about the “PM in siege” and political intrigue about the possibility of a change of guard does not seem to have affected the charity that the Indians have usually extended to their top leaders.

On balance, the ordinary people are quite satisfied with the work does by the PM: 56% satisfied versus only 18% dissatisfied means a ratio of about 3:1 of satisfied to dissatisfied. The ratio goes up to 6:1 among the UPA and also Left voters and drops to about 2:1 among those who had voted for the NDA in 2004.

That is not a bad rating, coming from the rival camp. The country’s first PM from a minority community is understandably a shade more popularly among the minorities but is acceptable across the entire social spectrum.

When asked to give the PM marks out of 100 on his work so far, the respondents gave him 68 marks, a little higher than the famous six-out-of-ten that the PM gave himself on the completion of his one year in the office.

The Congress and the Left voters would like to award him a “distinction” while the BJP voters would give him a high second class.

In terms of specific attributes, the PM’s biggest asset continues to be his image of being an honest leader. As many as 64% of the respondents agree that he is honest against only 8% who disagree. This ratio of 8:1 is replicated across the political divide; even the BJP voters concede this.

... contd.