Bhubaneswar: Leaders of all political parties in Odisha will come together in Kotia to oppose Andhra Pradesh’s election-related activities in the disputed border region, said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday.
Locals, political parties and social organisations will remain present in Kotia on the polling day to protest against the election activities by Andhra Pradesh. The Odisha government has also made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident, the minister said.
Seven platoons of police personnel have been deployed in Kotia, while checkposts have been set up along the border. Senior administrative officials will also monitor the situation, he said.
According to the minister, residents of Kotia are opposing Andhra Pradesh’s decision to conduct elections in the disputed region. Political parties in Koraput have already joined hands on the matter.
He said that people in Kotia have witnessed the Odisha government’s support during the recent cyclone, which has strengthened their confidence in the state administration.
The minister pointed out that while Andhra Pradesh had set up polling booths inside Kotia during the previous elections, polling booths for the current election have been established outside Kotia, within Andhra Pradesh’s territorial limits. He said the Odisha administration is fully prepared to deal with the situation.
Pujari also outlined the legal history of the Kotia dispute, saying that the then Odisha government had approached the Supreme Court in 1968 over the issue.
After losing the case in 2010, the previous state government moved the Supreme Court again in 2021, alleging contempt of court. The present Odisha government has now filed another petition in the apex court, said Pujari.
Andhra Pradesh’s actions have created a constitutional crisis, Pujari said, adding that the Odisha government was consulting experts to strengthen its legal battle.
Comments are closed.