Odisha has filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court after Andhra Pradesh announced panchayat elections in the disputed Kotia cluster of 28 villages on Oct 10, 2024.
The move follows a 2006 Supreme Court ruling that both states must preserve the status quo in the region, a directive ignored by Andhra Pradesh when it issued the October notification.
Odisha’s revenue and disaster management minister, Suresh Pujari, told reporters the petition was lodged through the Koraput district collector after receiving approval from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The 1968 case saw Odisha challenge AP’s claim that 21 of the 28 Kotia villages lay within its jurisdiction, a dispute that flared again in 2021 when AP held elections, prompting a 2022 contempt petition.
The latest notification lists Phagunasineri, Ganjeipadar and Phatusineri as the three contested villages where elections are slated, a move that Odisha says violates the 2006 order.
Odisha now seeks a court directive that AP halt the elections and refrain from future illegal activity in Kotia, with the Supreme Court set to hear the case next month.