In these Assembly elections, the BJP was seen as facing a big fight from strong regional parties and Opposition stalwarts such as the Trinamool Congress and DMK. However, true to its image, the BJP gave it all it could, and going by the early trends, it is again paying dividends for the party. The trends at 11 am across the four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry show that the BJP is the only ruling party that withstood the momentum for change: it is set to retain power in Assam and its coalition with the All India N R Congress is returning to power in Puducherry. And, in what may be yet another validation for the Modi-Shah leadership of the BJP, the party seemed within breathing distance of power in Bengal. Even in Tamil Nadu , where all exit polls predicted that the DMK would return to power, BJP ally AIADMK could be leaving it behind, finishing only behind the newbie TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) led by Vijay and its stunning debut.…