There has even been the suggestion that Modi and Trump are made for each other, two strongmen politicians with a flair for populist demagoguery and prime time showmanship.

Amid chants of “Parvesh Verma ko Jai Shree Ram” and “Do number lucky hai, iss baar jeet pakki hai,” BJP candidate Parvesh Verma sought to reconnect with voters at the grassroots level during his poll ...