The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday went ahead with rural polls in some of the disputed villages of Kotia gram panchayat in Odisha’s Koraput district despite stiff opposition from local officials.
The government of the neighbouring state also held panchayat polls in some other bordering villages in Malkangiri, Ganjam and Gajapati districts of Odisha.
Earlier on Friday, Koraput district collector Abdaal Muhammed Akhtar had written a letter to his Vizianagaram counterpart Dr M. Hari Jawaharlal urging him not to hold the panchayat elections in Kotia as the matter was sub judice.
Akhtar had pointed out that following the Odisha government’s petition, the Supreme Court had on Friday posted the matter for hearing on February 19 and issued notice to the Andhra Pradesh government on the issue.
“I am to, therefore, request you that considering the sub judice nature of the matter and the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India’s oral observations, you may kindly desist from going ahead with any plan to allegedly conduct elections inside Kotia gram panchayat of Pottangi block in Koraput district,” said Akhtar.
Both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been entangled in a legal battle since 1968 over the ownership of 21 out of the 28 villages under Kotia gram panchayat.
BJP leader and former MP Jayaram Pangi who hails from the area, told reporters: “As the Odisha government did not take any concrete steps to stop the elections, the Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday held elections in seven villages. We did not feel the presence of the Odisha government here. For the first time, Andhra Pradesh was able to hold the election following the process of nomination and later election. The counting process has begun.”
All the villagers have dual voter cards and they cast votes in the elections held in both the states, sources said. Though the Pottangi block development officer was seen requesting people not to participate in the polls on Saturday, his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Odisha government sources said the Kotia panchayat has 28 villages under it. But the Andhra Pradesh government went ahead with its plan to hold rural polls in seven villages of the panchayat. They have also re-christened three of the major villages under Kotia panchayat. While Tala Ganjeipadar village has been renamed Ganjaibadra, Patu Sineri has become Pattuchennuru and Fagun Sineri has been changed to Pagulchennuru.
In order to appease the people and to ensure their loyalty to Odisha, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had last week announced he will visit Kotia panchayat soon and also unveiled developmental projects worth Rs 18 crore for the area. At present, developmental projects worth Rs 150 crore are being implemented in the area..