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Stock markets are likely to be guided this week by the outcome of state elections and high crude oil prices amid the West Asia conflict, say analysts. The developments related to the West Asia conflict and the Strait of Hormuz will also be tracked by investors, they said. Counting of votes for the five assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry will begin on Monday, May 4. "The most immediate catalyst will be the outcome of key state elections, with investors closely watching whether the ruling party at the Centre can wrest West Bengal from Trinamool Congress and make meaningful inroads into opposition-ruled Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently has a limited presence," Hariprasad K, Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said. Crude oil remains the single most critical macro variable, Hariprasad said. "With Brent prices sustaining elevated levels amid ongoing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, inflatio