Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal president and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik has asked whether the BJP's dependence on NDA ally Telugu Desam Party is behind the Odisha government's silence on Andhra Pradesh notifying panchayat elections in disputed Kotia villages.
In a letter dated October 19 to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Patnaik expressed concern over Andhra Pradesh's notification announcing polls in Phagunasineri, Ganjeipadar and Phatusineri villages of Kotia gram panchayat in Koraput district.
The decades-old dispute involves both states claiming rights over 21 of the 28 villages of Kotia gram panchayat. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court.
"What happened to the BJP's assurances that Kotia belongs to Odisha? What makes this even more troubling is that the TDP, which governs Andhra Pradesh, is a key ally of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre," Patnaik said.
He asked whether "political dependence" explained the state government's silence and its willingness to compromise Odisha's interests. He also sought the recommendations of the 16-member Kotia Committee constituted in 2025 and the action taken on them.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government was prepared to "thwart any provocative attempts" by the neighbouring state. He said Kotia gram panchayat is an integral part of Odisha and its people are with the state.
Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, an MLA from Koraput, demanded immediate intervention, alleging that the BJP government's "double standards" had allowed Andhra Pradesh to press its claim.
The dispute reached the Supreme Court in 1968, which directed both states to maintain the status quo. A fresh suit filed by Odisha has been pending since January 2022.