Bhubaneswar: Following Andhra Pradesh’s announcement to hold elections in Kotia, Odisha Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has expressed concern and urged the Odisha government to take decisive steps to safeguard the state’s territorial integrity. Kotia has been a disputed area claimed by both states.

In a letter to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Patnaik called for all necessary measures to protect Odisha’s territorial integrity and reaffirm its claim over Kotia.

Questioning the BJP-led Odisha government’s silence on the issue, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president asked whether political compulsions were preventing it from taking a firm stand. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which governs Andhra Pradesh, is a key ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

Patnaik questioned whether the Odisha government’s political dependence was leading it to compromise the state’s interests and territorial integrity.

He also sought details of the recommendations made by the 16-member high-level Kotia Committee constituted in 2025 and asked about the current status of its work.

Recalling his tenure as Chief Minister, Patnaik said the Odisha government had consistently fought to protect the state’s territorial integrity. He questioned the BJP leaders’ earlier assertions that Kotia belonged to Odisha and sought to know what action had been taken to fulfil the promises made by the party during the 2024 Assembly elections to resolve the dispute.

The Kotia dispute centres on a cluster of villages along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. Of the 28 villages in the Kotia Gram Panchayat, 21 have been at the centre of the long-standing territorial and administrative dispute between the two states.