How Popular Is Rajiv Gandhi

Opinion polls may show the prime minister to be popular with the majority of the electorate, but the image is at best fragile and Rajiv Gandhi is unlikely to gamble his and his party's political future on such fragile evidence of popularity. It will be foolish to minimise the potential strength of a united opposition. If the opposition parties can avoid splitting the anti-Congress(I) vote, Rajiv Gandhi will have a rough time at the hustings.