Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik ordered a delegation to Kotia on May 31 to protest Andhra Pradesh’s planned panchayat elections in 21 villages claimed by both states.
The delegation, consisting of former MPs Jhina Hikaka, Pradeep Majhi, and Manohar Randhari, and MLA Jagannath Saraka, will meet residents, assess on‑ground concerns and report back to Patnaik.
Odisha officials warned the BJP‑led government that it may not honor its 2024 manifesto pledge of a “double‑engine government” to settle the territorial dispute.
The quarrel stems from 1956 when both states inherited ambiguous borders; the discovery of bauxite and graphite later intensified claims over the Pottangi block in Koraput district versus Salur block in Parvathipuram Manyam.
Residents, mainly from the Kondh tribe, hold voter and Aadhaar cards from both Odisha and Andhra, allowing them to cast ballots in both assemblies—an oddity that surfaced during the 2024 elections.
Odisha is now weighing a petition to the Supreme Court to stop the elections, while Andhra Pradesh remains committed to holding them in the contested villages.