Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has emerged as the frontrunner in the eyes of the people to lead the opposition, particularly the INDIA bloc partners, in mounting a strong challenge against the Modi government. The latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey revealed that while leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, and Priyanka Gandhi were also seen as potential opposition faces, Rahul Gandhi remained ahead of them in terms of popular choice and acceptability.
The survey, which was conducted between July 1 and August 14, 2025, reached out to 54,788 individuals across every Lok Sabha segment in the country. In addition to this, responses from 1,52,038 individuals collected through CVoter’s ongoing tracker data were also taken into account, bringing the total number of opinions considered for this report to a significant 2,06,826. This wide coverage ensured that the survey reflected a comprehensive mood of the electorate spread across the nation.
Rahul Gandhi’s popularity as the preferred leader of the opposition has witnessed a noticeable rise when compared to the February 2025 MOTN survey. In February, 23.9 per cent of respondents had expressed confidence in him to lead the opposition, while the latest figures from August indicate a jump to 28.2 per cent. Despite this improvement, his standing has seen a decline in comparison to the August 2024 survey, where as many as 32.3 per cent of respondents had favoured him as the most suitable opposition leader.
Among other prominent opposition leaders, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee stood second in the rankings, securing 7.7 per cent of the vote share. She was followed by Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav with 6.7 per cent, former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal with 6.4 per cent, and Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi with 4.4 per cent. While all of them registered some level of public support, the gap between Rahul Gandhi and the rest remained considerably wide, underlining his stronger position within the opposition landscape.
In terms of performance as the Leader of the Opposition, the survey brought encouraging results for Rahul Gandhi. His ratings have shown a positive swing since February 2025. The percentage of respondents who rated his performance as “outstanding” rose from 25 per cent earlier to 28 per cent in the latest findings. Moreover, his “poor” rating saw a steep fall, dropping from 27 per cent in February to just 15 per cent now. Alongside these, 22 per cent of respondents described his performance as “good,” while another 16 per cent rated it as “average.”
On the other hand, a little over 12 per cent of the people surveyed continued to believe that his performance as the Leader of the Opposition was “very poor.” Interestingly, this figure has remained nearly unchanged since the February survey, suggesting that while his popularity has grown among many, there still exists a section of voters who remain highly critical of his role.
Overall, the survey highlights Rahul Gandhi’s strengthening image as the most prominent leader in the opposition camp, while also pointing to areas where his appeal has dipped compared to the previous year. It also reflects the relatively limited traction of other opposition leaders in comparison to him, consolidating his position as the face of the opposition in India’s current political scenario.
