Andhra polls revive Odisha’s long-running dispute
Andhra Pradesh’s move to hold local body elections in three villages in the disputed Kotia panchayat has reignited a long-standing boundary dispute, putting the BJP government in Odisha on the defensive and giving the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) fresh ammunition to target it over its promise to resolve the issue under the “double-engine” government.
The development has also put the BJP in a politically difficult position, with Andhra Pradesh governed by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition. The TDP is a key NDA ally at the Centre.
Calling Kotia an integral part of Odisha, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik questioned the BJP’s commitment to protecting the state’s territorial integrity and safeguarding Odia pride.
“Despite Odisha having a so-called double-engine government, it is deeply concerning that Andhra Pradesh has proceeded to announce elections in Kotia. What happened to the BJP’s assurances that Kotia belongs to Odisha?” Patnaik wrote in a recent letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
BJD delegation visited Kotia on Friday. (Express Photo)
Pointing to the BJP’s dependence on the TDP to sustain its majority at the Centre, Patnaik questioned whether political compulsions were behind the Majhi government’s silence and its alleged willingness to compromise Odisha’s interests and territorial integrity.
The BJD chief’s attack draws on the “Odia asmita (Odia pride)” narrative that helped the BJP challenge the previous BJD government in the 2024 Assembly elections. The BJP had repeatedly raised the issue of alleged interference by bureaucrat-turned-politician V K Pandian in the state’s governance and the BJD’s affairs.
With the Kotia dispute back in the spotlight, Patnaik has sought to turn that narrative against the BJP.
“Will the double-engine government stand firm in safeguarding Odisha’s territorial integrity and Constitutional rights, or will it once again yield to pressure from the Centre? Was the ‘Go Back Andhra’ slogan merely an election gimmick to secure votes, much like the other commitments made to the people of Odisha that remain unfulfilled?” he asked.
A 25-member BJD delegation also visited Kotia on Friday to assess the situation and interact with residents.
BJP dismisses Patnaik
The BJP hit back at Patnaik, with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari accusing the former Chief Minister of failing to resolve the dispute during his 24-year tenure.
“They neither resolved the problem nor fought it effectively in the court of law. I urge him to come for an open debate over what his government has done in 24 years for Kotia,” Pujari said.
On Andhra Pradesh’s decision to hold local body elections in the disputed area, Pujari said the Odisha government was exploring fresh legal options to protect the state’s territorial integrity and interests.
Odisha has already moved the Supreme Court, seeking contempt petition against Andhra Pradesh over its notification to hold local body polls. The petition has been filed by Koraput district collector, Pujari said.
Amid the political sparring, former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has visited Kotia several times in recent times, called for unity among political parties to find a solution.
The long-standing boundary dispute was a matter of concern, Pradhan said, urging political leaders to work together irrespective of party affiliations.
“It is important for political figures to take responsibility for resolving the problems in this region. Through dialogue, we must create a friendly atmosphere and pave the way for a solution,” Pradhan wrote on X.
The dispute
Kotia comprises a cluster of 28 villages with a population of nearly 5,000. Since the 1960s, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh both have claimed jurisdiction over 21 of these villages.
Residents of the panchayat receive welfare benefits from both states, but the unresolved dispute over jurisdiction has left them caught between competing administrative claims, raising questions about their identity and the certainty of governance.
The dispute reached the Supreme Court in 1968, when the Odisha government challenged Andhra Pradesh’s interference in the region. On December 2 that year, the court directed both states to maintain a status quo.
On March 30, 2006, the Supreme Court dismissed Odisha’s petition on technical grounds and again directed the two states to maintain the status quo until the dispute was resolved.
In March 2023, the then BJD government approached the Supreme Court again, arguing that the disputed region had been included in Odisha’s Pottangi block in Koraput district in the 2011 Census. It also cited Odisha’s collection of land revenue from the villages over several decades.
In November 2021, Patnaik, then the Chief Minister, met his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, to discuss the dispute. The two leaders agreed to establish a joint institutional mechanism to resolve various bilateral issues.
After the BJP came to power in Odisha, Majhi constituted a 16-member committee headed by Pujari to recommend special development plans for Kotia and ensure the implementation of government schemes through convergence.
