'The tide started to turn against the BJD when V K Pandian toured the districts gathering people's grievances last year.'

What may work for the BJP is the growing resentment against V K Pandian, a bureaucrat-turned-politician who Jay Panda alleges has hijacked the Odisha government.

The BJP's vote share in Cuttack went up from 9 per cent in 2009 to 38 per cent in 2019.

The Odisha government told the assembly over 40,000 workers migrated from the state last year, with the highest number -- 26,151 -- from Balangir.

'Elections are fought to win.' 'In our party, the leadership takes the final decision, and our leaders are very clear about it.'

Call it the art of staying rooted yet bending with prevailing political winds. With Telangana going to the polls in December, and assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra and Odisha scheduled next year, what factors have influenced parties' recent moves?

'It is the most prone month for the development of cyclones in the pre-monsoon period.'

Those who know Naveen Patnaik well say his final decision will depend on who has the edge after the election.