A victory for Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party would confirm that Indians want a strong national leader, a contrast to the weak, messy coalitions that have governed in the past.

Takeway: Mr. Modi fits the mold of the political strongman; many such figures have risen to power around the world, from the U.S. to Turkey. He stirs huge crowds, projects a macho image of his country abroad, speaks to voters directly via Twitter and has the ability to stoke nationalism.

Perspective: Voters hoping that Mr. Modi would be a Reaganesque figure who would shrink the government’s role in the Indian economy shouldn’t hold their breath, according to author Ruchir Sharma. “India’s political DNA is fundamentally socialist,” he writes in an Op-Ed.

U.S. order begins exacting toll on Huawei

Google’s decision to cut Huawei off from many Android hardware and software services is the first ripple effect from the Trump administration’s order last week to bar the Chinese telecom giant from buying American technology.