Why Naveen Patnaik's the frontrunner

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The break-up of the BJD-BJP alliance has led to a lot of speculation on whether this will be a boon or bane for Naveen Patnaik and his party. Many political commentators and journalists have expressed that this gamble may well prove to be costly for Patnaik and bring him down after 10 years of ruling the state. The outcome will be clear in less than two months whether this may well be the case or if he will come out even more triumphant. While I will stay clear of speculating on which way it is likely to go, what I certainly do feel is that Patnaik's BJD has a clear edge over competition. My conviction is based on four matter of facts. First and foremost, the people of Orissa are more likely to go with a party which throws up a clear leader. From a voter's perspective, it....