Islamabad: 65% North Indians believe that economy is getting worse while 58% North Indians disapproved Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, indicates Gallup International Survey.
“Residents living in India’s states in the North, which was more electorally competitive in the last election, are in dire economic straits because of a slowdown in the agricultural industry. Just 9% of Indians in this region believe their national economy is improving, while a firm majority (65%) say things are getting worse — the highest percentage in any region. Meanwhile, Indians living in the East are the most optimistic about the status of the national economy, with 52% saying it is getting better”, indicates the survey.
Indians’ diverging views on the economy help at least partially explain the differing levels of approval — or disapproval — for outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. An Oxford-trained economist leading the country since 2004, Singh has seen his once considerable political stature diminish with India’s economic woes. In 2013, fewer than three in 10 Indians approved of Singh (27%), while 40% disapproved. His approval is weakest in the struggling North (14%) — a steep drop from his 2012 approval rating of 38% in that region. The residents living in the South remain more favorable to Singh; he has a 40% approval rating there.
