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

The YSRCP and the TDP both claim the disputed border villages will vote for them on November 5

The Andhra Pradesh government and the State Election Commission are making all arrangements to conduct local body elections in the Kotia group of villages on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, despite strong objections from Odisha. The neighbouring State has approached the Supreme Court to stop the election process in the disputed region.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/ https://www.thehindu.com/topic/andhra-pradesh-local-body-elections-2026/ https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/odisha/odisha-moves-supreme-court-against-andhra-pradesh-over-rural-poll-notice-in-kotia-area/article71618935.ece

Both the States have been at odds over the jurisdiction of the Kotia group of villages for about seven decades. Both have also been holding local body elections there for many decades. Odisha has objected before: it filed contempt petitions when Andhra Pradesh held polls in the villages in 2021. This time, it filed a fresh contempt petition last month, alleging that the poll notification violates the Supreme Court's 2006 order directing both States to maintain the status quo. The villages are located 35 km from Salur town of Parvathipuram Manyam district.

Odisha moves Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh over rural poll notice in Kotia area Odisha moves Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh over rural poll notice in Kotia area While all the 28 villages under Kotia Gram Panchayat remain in Odisha territory, Andhra Pradesh has been claiming its rights over 21 villages. Odisha challenged this in the Supreme Court in 1968 and the court asked both States to maintain the status quo in 2006 Odisha moves Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh over rural poll notice in Kotia area storyline 1

Since the court has not passed any order on Odisha's petition, the Parvathipuram Manyam district administration is making all arrangements to hold elections in places like Ganjai Bhadra, Pagalu Chennuru, Pattu Chennuru, Kurukutti, Sarika, Kotia and other villages on November 5, 2026. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which won the Salur Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency and all four Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies in 2021, is keen to win them again with its spirited campaign in all Kotia villages.

Odisha's contempt petition in Supreme Court over Kotia panchayat election | Explained Odisha's contempt petition in Supreme Court over Kotia panchayat election | Explained The Odisha government filed a contempt of court petition against the Andhra Pradesh government in the Supreme Court challenging the notification for the forthcoming election in Kotia Odisha's contempt petition in Supreme Court over Kotia panchayat election | Explained storyline 1

Former Deputy Chief Minister and YSRCP senior leader Peedika Rajanna Dora on Monday alleged that the TDP, JSP and BJP alliance parties colluded with the ruling BJP leaders of Odisha to stop the election process in the Kotia group of villages as they were fearful of defeat there. "Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy government had won the hearts of Kotia people with its welfare schemes with an aim to get complete jurisdiction rights for AP over Kotia group of villages. The people who benefited from the welfare schemes of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will vote for us," said Mr. Rajanna Dora while speaking to the media in Salur.

The hills of Odisha and Andra Pradesh are alive with the sound of dual voting The hills of Odisha and Andra Pradesh are alive with the sound of dual voting Kotia, a predominantly tribal gram panchayat that Odisha and Andhra both claim, seeks to vote differently -- with two votes to a person, one in each State, in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Satyasundar Barik finds that even as the matter of territory is in the Supreme Court, people here claim rights from both States, making the duty to vote a logical corollary SPOTLIGHT The hills of Odisha and Andra Pradesh are alive with the sound of dual voting storyline 1

The Telugu Desam Party rejected the YSRCP's allegations and said the TDP and its alliance partners would get an absolute majority in the Kotia villages this time, as was evident from the spectacular response to the TDP's campaign in those villages. "In spite of the strong objection from Odisha officials, TDP has been campaigning vigorously in all villages. Recently, Odisha officials seized our campaign vehicle. In spite of all hurdles, we are continuing the campaign in those villages," said TDP Salur president A. Parameswara Rao.

Meanwhile, Parvathipuram Manyam Collector N. Prabhakara Reddy and Superintendent of Police S.V. Madhav Reddy directed all political leaders to be cautious while campaigning in sensitive areas of the AP-Odisha border. They also asked polling officials to take care of ballot boxes, ballots and other polling material while conducting the election process in the Kotia group of villages. The police department is expected to send additional security forces to the Kotia villages to ensure free and fair elections. According to them, there may not be any untoward incidents on polling day as the local body elections were conducted smoothly in 2021.

Andhra Pradesh holds Kotia rural polls in disputed region Andhra Pradesh holds Kotia rural polls in disputed region Odisha government objects strongly to move story Andhra Pradesh holds Kotia rural polls in disputed region Villagers stand in a queue to vote during the Andhra Pradesh panchayat elections in Kotia gram panchayat of Odisha on Saturday, February 13, 2020. On Friday, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Andhra Pradesh government on a contempt petition filed by Odisha for notifying panchayat elections in disputed inter-State border villages despite a status quo order from the top court.