Two years ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was dealt a humbling blow in national elections, failing to win a majority for the first time since he came to power.

This week, he showed his enduring popularity by expanding his party’s support base beyond its traditional strongholds in the north and west, eliminating two of the opposition’s most vocal leaders in the process. That gives him fresh momentum to push through his political and economic agenda, including longstanding goals of his Hindu-dominant Bharatiya Janata Party.