PM Narendra Modi beats Obama, Trump to win TIME Person of the Year 2016 readers poll

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the online reader's poll for TIME Person of the Year 2016. Modi won with 18% of the vote when the poll closed on 4 December, beating the likes of US President-elect Donald Trump, outgoing POTUS Barack Obama, Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg and Julian Assange, to name a few.

Traditionally, the TIME editors decide the winner but the online poll helps gauge public sentiment.

Poll results, analysed by host Apester, found that preferences differ across the world and the United States. Modi performed particularly well among Indian voters as well as those in California and New Jersey, reported TIME.

According to a September Pew poll, Modi saw high approval ratings from Indians. Along with the ratification of Paris Climate Change, Modi came into the limelight for the demonetisation initiative - banning of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes which impacted the cash-based businesses and threatening India's economy.