Modi’s BJP most popular among Indian Americans

THIRTY-two percent of Indian Americans identify closely with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and only 12 percent with the opposition Congress Party, according to a new survey.

But 40 percent of those in the survey said they did not feel close to any Indian political party, reported Indian American Attitudes Survey 2020 published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in association with Johns Hopkins University and University of Pennsylvania.

Overall, however, those closely identifying with a party other than the BJP is 28 percent, if the supporters of the Congress and other smaller parties are added up, the study noted.

The survey of 1,200 Indian Americans- a broad category in the study covering both US citizens as well as non-citizens-was conducted in September last year by YouGov and the analysis by a group of experts was published June 9.

Seventy-five percent of Indian Americans said that they were ‘pro-India,’ but their attitudes to the Indian government varied sharply with 58 percent critical of the government to some degree.

Only 17 percent identified themselves as also being ‘pro-government,’ while 35 percent were critical of some of the government’s policies, and 23 percent critical of most of the government policies.

According to the survey, 49 percent of Indian Americans rated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s performance favorably, with 35 percent giving strong approval. But 31 percent disapproved of his record, with 22 percent expressing strong disapproval.

Modi got 58, the BJP 57, the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh 46, and the Congress Party 44; Rahul Gandhi lagged at 38.

Among Republican Indian Americans, Modi received a higher ‘thermometer rating’ of 71, versus 55 among Democrats, while Gandhi got more warmth from Democrats with a 42 rating but 31 among Republicans, the study said.

President Joe Biden and his Democratic Party got a rating of 64, while Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Indian American descent, got 63.

The study noted that overall the ‘thermometer rating’ for the Republican Party at 42 and for former President Donald Trump at 37 nearly parallel the ratings for the Congress Party and Gandhi.