Odisha, Andhra police face off over panchayat polls in disputed Kotia

Odisha Police stopped Andhra Pradesh personnel from crossing barricades into disputed Kotia. The confrontation deepens the interstate row over proposed panchayat elections.Stock photo used for illustrationKoraput,Nov 3, 2026 21:52 ISTTension flared in the disputed Kotia border region on Tuesday after Andhra Pradesh Police allegedly tried to remove barricades set up by the Odisha administration to prevent unauthorised entry and the holding of panchayat elections, officials told news agency Press Trust of India.The decades-old border dispute resurfaced after the Andhra Pradesh government issued a notification to conduct rural elections on November 5 in some villages that Odisha claims as its territory. Andhra Pradesh claims rights over 21 of the 28 villages in the Kotia cluster, which falls under the Pottangi Assembly segment in Odisha's Koraput district.Police personnel from the two states had a heated exchange after Odisha Police stopped their Andhra Pradesh counterparts from entering Kotia through a check post. Andhra Pradesh Police allegedly tried to cross the border and instigate some villagers against Odisha Police.The incident came a day after Odisha Police intercepted an Andhra Pradesh-registered truck carrying rice meant for the public distribution system near the same check post. Koraput sub-collector Fabi Rasheed told PTI, "The Andhra Pradesh Police and officials forcibly attempted to remove the barricade at Neridivalasa check post. They were not in a mood to talk and insisted on removing the barricades and entering Odisha. We could not understand what they were saying in Telugu."Koraput Superintendent of Police Rohit Verma said there was a tussle between police personnel from the two states at Neridivalasa, but the Andhra Pradesh Police were not allowed to enter the Kotia area. "We have deployed at least 16 platoons, with each platoon comprising 30 personnel, in Kotia to prevent any untoward incident in view of the upcoming panchayat elections. Our forces will remain stationed in the region for the next few days," Verma said.Senior police officers, including additional superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police from different parts of the district, have been deployed to monitor the situation.A senior official told PTI that Odisha had set up three police posts at Neridivalasa, Talasembi and Phatuseneri Chhak to stop cross-border movement and prevent administrative or electoral encroachment. "The situation is under control, and all three of our checkpoints are operational," Verma told reporters.The border dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh dates back to the 1930s. Both states claim administrative control over the Kotia villages, and the matter has been pending before the Supreme Court since 1968. Residents of the area have voter identity cards from both states and receive benefits under welfare schemes run by both governments.Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari criticised Andhra Pradesh's move to hold rural elections in territory claimed by Odisha. "The state government has been opposing their move and filed a contempt of court petition against Andhra Pradesh's chief secretary, district collector, State Election Commissioner and others, challenging their notification to hold rural polls in Odisha villages," he said.Pujari claimed that all political parties in Odisha had united to prevent Andhra Pradesh from holding the elections in Kotia. He accused the Andhra Pradesh government of creating a constitutional crisis by conducting panchayat polls in a region that already has panchayat samiti and Zilla Parishad members in Koraput district."How can one area elect two sarpanchs, samiti members or Zilla Parishad members?" Pujari asked. "If a specific region starts having two competing sarpanchs, two ward members, and overlapping administrative setups from two states, it creates a total collapse of constitutional machinery."Odisha Police said the checkpoints remained operational and additional forces had been deployed in Kotia ahead of the proposed November 5 elections, as the two states continued to assert their claims over the disputed villages.- Ends