Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has filed a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court (SC) against the Andhra Pradesh administration over its notification to conduct local body elections in the disputed Kotia region in Koraput, alleging violation of an earlier court directive to maintain the status quo in the area.

The petition, filed through the Koraput District Collector following the approval of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, was registered on Friday under diary number 66727/2026, according to the information provided by the state government.

The contempt case names several senior Andhra Pradesh officials, including Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha, Home Secretary Kumar Biswajit, Panchayati Raj Secretary Mutala Raju, Panchayati Raj Director V. R. K. Teja and Parvathipuram Manyam District Collector N. P. Ravishankar Reddy.

The dispute centres on Andhra Pradesh's move to issue an election notification for local governance positions in Kotia, including sarpanch and panchayat samiti member posts. Odisha has strongly objected to the move, arguing that conducting elections under a separate administrative framework in the disputed region could violate constitutional provisions governing panchayati raj institutions and undermine the existing status quo.

Odisha accuses Andhra of violating the status quo

According to the Odisha government's position, the Kotia group of villages has been an integral part of Odisha since 1936. The state has reiterated its commitment to protecting its claim over the region.

The territorial dispute dates back several decades. A case concerning Kotia was brought before the Supreme Court in 1968, during which the court directed that the status quo in the area be maintained. The direction required that the existing situation not be altered while the matter was under consideration.

Although the case was dismissed in 2006, Odisha maintains that the status quo issue remains significant and that Andhra Pradesh's latest election notification violates the court's earlier directive.

The Odisha government has now approached the Supreme Court seeking to hold the concerned Andhra Pradesh authorities accountable for the alleged contempt. The state is expected to present its position before the apex court as the dispute over administrative control and local elections in Kotia continues.