With a new turf, Telangana, in play for Congress, its outcome along with those of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan will set the tone for the Lok Sabha polls to come six months later.
As per the last lap of the campaign and also the exit polls, the fight appears to have tightened from the time the countdown was sounded for the five states, with Congress as the clear frontrunner.
Congress has been confident about defending Chhattisgarh and wresting Madhya Pradesh from BJP, while chief minister Ashok Gehlot has made a determined bid to turn the three-decade-old pattern of Rajasthan voting out the incumbent.
The party, riding the energy and messaging from Karnataka triumph, pulled out all stops to challenge the ruling BRS in the neighbouring Telangana, and seems to have done well.
In contrast, PM Narendra Modi-led BJP carpet-bombed the battlegrounds, with a mix of personalised campaign and attack on Congress, coupled with strong focus on Hindutva. The party is seen to have made a match of it in MP and Chhattisgarh, and is snapping at the heels of Congress in Rajasthan.
Watch Exit Poll Results: BJP leads in MP & Rajasthan, Congress holds strong in Chhattisgarh & Telangana