Far from stupid. If anything, the next phase of their long and complex experiment has only begun. In many senses, Adityanath, head of the Goraknath math (a Hindu religious institute), may be the closest to theocracy any part of India has come under. And that’s also the closest to long-term political success that Hindutva has come.

When the US elected a foul-mouthed Donald Trump, we wrote: “So on Nov. 8, when the US voted for Trump, Indians who had looked to America for democratic solace found themselves deeply disappointed. Yes, we have our Modi. But, come on, you chose an Adityanath?

Turns out we puffed up over America’s failure a bit too early.

We welcome your comments at ideas.india@qz.com.

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