Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approached the Supreme Court over Andhra Pradesh’s move to conduct local body elections in parts of the disputed Kotia region, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said Friday.
Pujari said the Koraput Collector has filed a petition against the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Parvathipuram Collector, alleging that the neighbouring state’s actions violated the status quo order issued by the Supreme Court. According to Pujari, Andhra Pradesh issued a notification October 10 for elections to zilla parishads and mandal parishads, including the Kotia cluster of villages within the disputed territory.
Pujari said the move was contrary to the existing status quo and amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court’s directions, which require both states to maintain the prevailing position. The developments have triggered political reactions in Odisha, with parties across the political spectrum opposing Andhra Pradesh’s reported move to hold elections in the area.
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