Andhra goes ahead with Kotia local body polls despite Odisha’s plea in Supreme Court

Parvati Puram reports that the Andhra Pradesh government and State Election Commission are proceeding with local body elections in the disputed Kotia villages, located on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, despite objections from Odisha. Odisha has sought protection from the Supreme Court to halt these elections. The issue of jurisdiction over the Kotia group of villages has been a source of contention between the two states for nearly seven decades.

Both states have been holding local body elections in the area for many years. Odisha had previously filed contempt petitions when Andhra Pradesh conducted elections in the villages in 2021. However, this time, Odisha has filed a fresh contempt petition, arguing that the poll notification contravenes the Supreme Court's 2006 order, which directed both states to uphold the status quo.

While all 28 villages under Kotia Gram Panchayat remain within Odisha's territory, Andhra Pradesh claims its rights over 21 villages. The YSR Congress Party, which won the Salur Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency and four Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies in the 2021 elections, is determined to retain its stronghold by mounting a strong campaign across the Kotia villages.

The Odisha government filed a contempt of court petition challenging the notification for the upcoming election in Kotia. Former Deputy Chief Minister and YSRCP senior leader Peedika Rajanna Dora alleged that the TDP, JSP and BJP alliance parties collaborated with Odisha's ruling BJP leaders to prevent the election process in the Kotia group of villages due to fear of defeat.

Despite the ongoing legal dispute, the local body elections are set to take place on November 5, 2026.