States » EastPosted at: Oct 27 2026 9:17PM


BJD accuses Odisha BJP Government of ‘surrendering’ on Kotia dispute, demands firm action

Bhubaneswar, Oct 27(UNI) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday accused the BJP government in Odisha of failing to protect the state’s interests in the Kotia border dispute, alleging that Andhra Pradesh’s preparations for panchayat elections in the disputed area had exposed the state government’s inaction.
Addressing a press conference at party headquarters here, BJD vice-president and MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo and senior general secretary and spokesperson Pradeep Majhi urged the Mohan Charan Majhi government to take immediate steps to prevent Andhra Pradesh from conducting elections in Kotia.
Sahoo said the border dispute had become more complicated over the past two-and-a-half years despite the BJP being in power in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and at the Centre. He alleged that the Odisha government had failed to take effective measures even after Andhra Pradesh issued a notification on October 10 for panchayat elections in the disputed area.
Referring to former chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter to Majhi on October 19, Sahoo said the chief minister had subsequently directed the Advocate General to examine the status of the contempt-of-court case. Another contempt petition was filed in the Supreme Court on October 23, he said.
Sahoo questioned the state government’s silence on the issue, alleging that the BJP had failed to translate its repeated assertions on Odia Asmita (Odia pride and identity) into concrete action. He urged the government to take firm steps to safeguard Odisha’s territorial claims.
Drawing a comparison with the Mahanadi water dispute, Sahoo questioned why the chief minister had held discussions with his Chhattisgarh counterpart but had not pursued a similar dialogue with the Andhra Pradesh chief minister to resolve the Kotia issue.
He claimed that nearly 95 per cent of Kotia’s population belonged to tribal communities and alleged that residents had not received their pensions for four months. The BJD leader also alleged that Andhra Pradesh had created four gram panchayats in the area and made arrangements for polling booths, including one at Neridivalasa and others outside Odisha.
Questioning the Odisha government’s response, BJD spokesperson Pradeep Majhi said it had failed to take adequate steps to prevent the proposed elections.
The party plans to mobilise its MPs, MLAs, former legislators and other functionaries for a sustained protest at Neridivalasa, Majhi said, adding that the BJD would oppose any move to establish a polling booth there.
UNI DP
Tags: #BJD accuses Odisha BJP Government of ‘surrendering’ on Kotia dispute# demands firm action
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