Odisha's opposition leader, Naveen Patnaik, has accused the state's BJP government of staying silent after neighbouring Andhra Pradesh announced panchayat elections in three villages of the disputed Kotia area in Koraput district, The Hindu reports.
Both states claim 21 of the 28 villages in Kotia gram panchayat, and a suit filed by Odisha has been before the Supreme Court since January 2022. In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Patnaik asked whether the BJP's reliance on its national ally, the Telugu Desam Party, which governs Andhra Pradesh, explained the lack of response.
State minister Suresh Pujari said on Sunday that Kotia was an integral part of Odisha and that officials had been told to stop the area being drawn into Andhra Pradesh's election process.
Source: The Hindu
