If Lok Sabha elections are held now, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will leave behind the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) by miles, an ABP News-Nielsen survey has said.





The survey conducted this month in 28 cities across the country says only 22 per cent of the respondents intend to vote for the UPA while a massive 39 per cent would vote for the NDA. According to a press release, last year’s ABP News-Nielsen survey too showed consistent growth by the BJP and the NDA.



The survey did not indicate the number of seats the two coalitions may win. Even on party front, 36 per cent respondents in the survey were intending to vote for the BJP, whereas only 18 per cent would vote for Sonia Gandhi-led Congress.



The survey, done across 28 cities with close to 9,000 respondents, was conducted before the appointment of Rahul Gandhi as the Congress vice president and Nitin Gadkari's resignation as the BJP president. Around 36 per cent of the respondents gave poor or very poor ratings to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.



According to the survey, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has emerged as the most sought after candidate for the post of Prime Minister. He beats Congress l­eader Rahul Gandhi quite comfortably.



As many as 48 per cent respondents favoured Modi as prime minister while only 18 per cent wanted Rahul to take over the top post. Around 49 per cent say that they would vote for the BJP on the assumption that at the time of 2014 general elections Narendra Modi will lead BJP, the release added.