Bhubaneswar, November 4: A day before Andhra Pradesh is scheduled to conduct elections in Kotia of Koraput district, BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik has once again turned up the political heat on Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging him to urgently intervene and protect Odisha's territorial interests.

In a politically significant move, Patnaik has invoked the BJP's NDA ties with Andhra Pradesh and the Centre to press for immediate action, while reminding the Majhi government of the party's 2024 Assembly election promise to safeguard Odisha's territorial integrity.

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In a fresh letter to Majhi, Patnaik said, “I understand that the situation on the ground has further deteriorated, with reports of growing tension and confrontation between officials of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It is particularly concerning that Andhra Pradesh is proceeding with its elections in Kotia tomorrow, despite its implications for Odisha.”

Taking the issue beyond a routine inter-state boundary dispute, the former Chief Minister has invoked the political equation between the BJP-led governments in Odisha, NDA governments in Andhra Pradesh and at the Centre, arguing that the shared political platform should facilitate an urgent resolution rather than allow the situation to deteriorate.

“In view of the prevailing tension and the imminent elections, I urge you to take up the matter with the Union Government and the Government of Andhra Pradesh at the highest level. Since both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are governed by parties belonging to the NDA, led by the BJP, urgent steps must be taken to protect Odisha's territorial integrity, as promised in the BJP's 2024 election manifesto,” said Patnaik.

“As the Chief Minister of Odisha, it is your moral responsibility to ensure that the State's legitimate interests are firmly protected and the situation on the ground is not allowed to escalate any further. I hope the BJP leadership will honour its commitment to the people of Odisha and walk the talk on the Kotia issue, as guaranteed in its 2024 election manifesto,” said Patnaik.

Patnaik's letter comes amid concerns over Andhra Pradesh's reported move to conduct elections in Kotia, a development he says could have serious implications for Odisha's territorial interests.

The decades-old border dispute has resurfaced after the Chandrababu Naidu 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 of Koraput district.