Gujarat's Narendra Modi remains India's best performing chief minister while Congress prince Rahul Gandhi is the man the nation is rooting for to be prime minister, according to the India Today Mood of the Nation poll.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's popularity, as per the annual poll, is sinking by the day. His UPA government too has got a thumbs-down over rising prices and overall performance.

A comprehensive poll
With a sample size of over 12,000 eligible voters in 98 parliamentary constituencies across 19 states, the Mood of the Nation poll is the most definitive reflection of what the country thinks and wants. It covers all age groups and both genders in urban and rural India.

Best chief minister
Since 2002, India Today has been tracking the performance of chief ministers in this poll. And since then, Modi has figured among the top five chief ministers.

In the latest poll, Modi's nationwide popularity rating of 20 equals the combined ratings of the second and third best chief ministers - Delhi's Sheila Dikshit (11) and Bihar's Nitish Kumar (9).

Ironically, Dikshit's popularity is on the wane in her karmabhoomi Delhi. She maybe ranked No. 2 nationally but comes at a dismal 17 among her own voters.

Modi is India's most controversial politician. He's scorned by pundits and spurned by intellectuals. Yet, he continues to be a pan-Indian idol.