Four Northeast CMs stand tall in India Today MOTN poll survey, top popularity charts

The governance in Northeast India stood out in India Today's Mood of the Nation survey, with four chief ministers of the region securing top spots in the 'most popular chief ministers' in home state category.

The survey highlights the popularity and satisfaction levels of chief ministers across different states.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has achieved a remarkable surge of public approval, as his name dominated with the top spot with an impressive 62.1 per cent of respondents voicing satisfaction. This marks a significant leap from 55.7 per cent in August 2024 and a notable jump from a modest 26 per cent back in February 2024. 

Winning hearts with growing popularity, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attained a strong shift in public perception and confidence as he grabbed the second spot in the popularity list with 55.4 per cent of respondents expressing satisfaction with the CM, again up from 50.8 per cent in August 2024 and 48.6 per cent in February 2024.

Sarma, fondly known as "HBS" has been a major factor in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) apparent victory in Assam for the second term. Based on his resume, the 56-year-old political leader seems to think that the meek will not inherit the earth.

CM Himanta is the most high-profile minister in Assam's political landscape - be it during the Congress regime or the current BJP-led state government with meaty portfolios: finance, planning and development, health and family welfare, education and PWD.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu also features in the list of most popular chief ministers with 45.8 per cent of respondents expressing satisfaction with the CM. The chief minister has attained the honour amid several controversies revolving around the Brahmaputra dam project. 

CM Khandu is followed by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha with 41.7 per cent of respondents expressing satisfaction. CM Saha's leadership also stands out, especially evident via a recent statement by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal pointing Tripura's fast-growing economy gaining attention on the global platform. 

Respondents of every state were asked to evaluate the performance of their own chief minister. For instance, 62.1 per cent respondents of the total of 499 from Sikkim said they were satisfied with Prem Singh Tamang while 56.8 per cent of the 7,456 respondents from Tamil Nadu expressed satisfaction at MK Stalin’s performance.