Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won a stunning personal election victory in India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh. This is no small triumph in a state with over 200 million people, more than the entire population of Russia or Japan. It sets him up nicely for the next national election, planned for mid-2019.
Modi has already radically centralized power within his government. He makes policy for every ministry in New Delhi. He constantly portrays himself as an audacious leader who has implemented breathtaking innovations. This election result has strengthened him still further, leaving him with something close to a free hand to introduce still more bold new policies.
