The India Today–CVoter Mood of the Nation survey (25,184 respondents, July 1–Aug 25) places Vijay third with 9.2% PM preference — behind only Modi and Rahul Gandhi — on his first appearance in the poll.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has emerged as the third-most preferred choice for Prime Minister of India, with 9.2% of respondents backing him in the India Today–CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey published on 27 August 2026 — the first time he has appeared in the poll.
| Rank | Leader | % as PM Preference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narendra Modi (BJP) | 48.7% |
| 2 | Rahul Gandhi (Congress) | 27.1% |
| 3 | C. Joseph Vijay (TVK / Tamil Nadu CM) | 9.2% |
| 4 | Mamata Banerjee (TMC) | 2.0% |
| 5 | Akhilesh Yadav (SP) | 1.7% |
| 6 | Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) | 1.2% |
The survey was conducted by CVoter between July 1 and August 25, 2026, directly interviewing 25,184 respondents across India. The Mood of the Nation is a twice-yearly survey commissioned by the India Today Group that has tracked national political sentiment for nearly two decades.
Vijay's 9.2% is striking for two reasons. First, the gap he has opened over the fourth-placed Mamata Banerjee (2.0%) is large — he is running at more than four times her level of support, despite leading a state government for under four months. Second, this is the first time he has appeared in the poll at all. He has entered at third, not worked up to it.
The survey also asked respondents which Opposition leader would be best suited to lead the INDIA Bloc:
| Leader | % as Opposition Leader Preference |
|---|---|
| Rahul Gandhi (Congress) | 29.0% |
| C. Joseph Vijay (TVK) | 12.2% |
| Mamata Banerjee (TMC) | 8.5% |
| Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) | 7.5% |
| Akhilesh Yadav (SP) | 6.9% |
On the Opposition leadership question, Vijay finishes second — ahead of Mamata Banerjee, Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav.
Vijay formally entered politics in 2024 with the launch of TVK. Within two years, the party fought its first election and came to power in Tamil Nadu; he was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 10, 2026. He has no national electoral base — no Lok Sabha MPs, no presence outside Tamil Nadu. His 9.2% PM-preference rating is built entirely on his governance record in Tamil Nadu and his wider political reputation.
The finding also carries a structural note the survey itself observes: Vijay's rise appears partly at Rahul Gandhi's expense, given that the TVK government in Tamil Nadu is backed by the Congress. The 2029 Lok Sabha election is some distance away. This poll is a measure of preference, not of electoral viability; translating 9.2% national sentiment into parliamentary outcomes would require a national organisation and coalition that does not yet exist. The number is significant as a signal, not a prediction.
TVK leaders have, separately from this poll, been projecting Vijay as a potential future national leader. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram had earlier dismissed those projections as "fantasies." The MOTN result gives those projections an independent data point for the first time — and one that comes from a national survey covering 25,184 respondents, not party messaging.
Mood of the Nation India Today CVoter PM Preference Poll August 2026