New Delhi: BJP It is trying to defeat the opposition in West Bengal, one of its few remaining strongholds, while its rivals are expected to retain their hold in eastern and southern India with the results of five assembly elections – Bengal, Tamil NaduAssam, Kerala and Puducherry – set to take a look at the broader political mood of the nation.The results in areas concentrated in India’s south and east will echo nationally as the match-up, apart from pitting the BJP against its rivals, also involves intra-opposition battles. The results could have a serious impact on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party faction, as the Congress has courted controversy by being soft in its partnership with the DMK and persistent inconsistency with the TMC in contrast to the Mamata-positive mood of other allies like the Samajwadi Party, JMM and RJD.At stake on Monday are the fate of two regional giants – DMK (TN) and TMC (Bengal) – who are also key members of the anti-BJP alliance.The MK Stalin-led DMK was considered safe in its southern bastion TN until superstar Vijay’s newbie TVK made a late charge to make the mandate uncertain. While the DMK is confident that Vijay has largely cut into the AIADMK votes, which will make its job easier, there are doubts in some quarters about how the “silenced” women have made their choice.An increase in such demographic shift towards the new party could pose a serious test to the DMK. Without Vijay’s entry, the DMK was likely to repeat its victory in the Lok Sabha against Jayalalitha’s post-AIADMK.But the most keenly watched thing will be the result in Bengal. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s extended campaign, the BJP is looking to expand its national footprint by conquering a new territory which has been its long-cherished dream. At the same time, Mamata Banerjee, who had launched an aggressive campaign to counter the BJP’s allegations, will be tested for her renowned resilience and connect with the grassroots. Exit polls have created confusion about the future of Bengal elections by giving different verdicts in favor of both the parties.BJP’s victory in Bengal will be one of its most important assembly victories. The state sends the third-largest contingent of MPs to the Lok Sabha, which will be a big plus for the party ruling at the Center in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.For the Congress, Kerala could be the end of its victory drought. Exit polls have predicted a victory for the Congress over the ruling Left Front. If the Left party loses, it will be without a government for the first time since 1977. But now the Congress’s failure – its third consecutive defeat in the state, which is otherwise famous for removing the ruling party from power – will be a debilitating blow to the already weak national party.Exit polls are almost unanimous in predicting a third consecutive victory for the BJP in Assam, the only state where it has a government in this round of elections. This would be a major achievement for the BJP, which won a majority in the state against the Congress in 2016, and has since marginalized the once dominant party with its campaign of religious polarization.Nevertheless, the exciting contest for Bengal will complicate the battle for other states. The state’s cultural roots and personality have been central to the BJP’s identity, but its standing as an unbreakable ‘secular’ fortress has been a sore point for the party. Now the taste of a victory will be even sweeter, and it will attest to the continued resonance of its agenda under Modi’s leadership.On the contrary, if Mamata succeeds in thwarting the BJP challenge, she will enhance her stature as one of the few grassroots opposition leaders capable of blunting the saffron onslaught at its sharpest in an election to be held under the shadow of SIR. A fourth consecutive victory, three of which are with the BJP government at the Centre, will tarnish his credibility in the opposition camp.The Union Territory of Puducherry is another assembly in the fray and the political fallout from its outcome is likely to be limited.