Bhubaneswar, Nov 5: Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday claimed that Andhra Pradesh’s attempt to conduct panchayat elections in the disputed Kotia region of Koraput district has failed, with most local residents refusing to participate in the neighbouring state’s polls.

Pujari said repeated efforts by Andhra Pradesh authorities to persuade Kotia residents to cast their votes yielded little success, as the majority of voters stayed away from the election.

“The Andhra Pradesh government's attempt to lure voters in Kotia has failed,” the Minister said, responding to reports that a few villagers had cast their votes at polling booths established within Andhra Pradesh territory.

Pujari alleged that Andhra Pradesh authorities had taken away a small number of villagers from Kotia three to four days before the polling and kept them within their territory. These villagers, along with a few others from neighbouring areas, subsequently participated in the panchayat elections conducted by Andhra Pradesh.

“Some villagers were taken away three or four days earlier and kept within Andhra Pradesh's territory. However, a few others from adjoining areas travelled through forest routes to cast their votes. Their numbers were negligible, while the majority of voters in Kotia stayed away from the polls,” he said.

The Minister further claimed that Andhra Pradesh failed to establish even a single polling booth within the Kotia region due to coordinated efforts by the government, political parties and local residents.

“Andhra Pradesh failed to set up a polling station in the Kotia area and retreated yesterday. The district administration, political parties, social organisations and the people of Kotia have done a commendable job,” Pujari stated.

The Kotia cluster, located in Odisha's Koraput district along the Andhra Pradesh border, has remained one of India's longest unresolved inter-state border disputes.

While the Kotia gram panchayat consists of 28 villages, Andhra Pradesh claims administrative rights over 21 of them. Both states maintain that these villages fall within their respective territories.

The dispute dates back to the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1953.

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In 1968, both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh approached the Supreme Court, each claiming sovereignty over the disputed villages.

However, in 2006, the Supreme Court directed both states to maintain status quo. The court also observed that it does not have the jurisdiction to redraw state boundaries, stating that such matters can only be resolved by Parliament.

Despite the court's order, the dispute has continued, with both states extending welfare schemes and administrative activities in the region.