The story so far: The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission issued a notification on October 19, 2026, for elections to the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), scheduled for November 3.
The Odisha government said on October 23, 2026, that it had filed a contempt of court petition against the Andhra Pradesh government in the Supreme Court challenging the notification for the forthcoming election in Kotia. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Andhra Pradesh of undermining Odisha’s territorial integrity.
It failed to resolve the dispute, with the Minister reportedly observing that Odisha’s claim would be difficult to sustain in view of the acceptance of Gilby’s report. Odisha approached the Supreme Court with a contempt petition, alleging a violation of the status quo order. Meanwhile, a BJD delegation visited Kotia and criticised the Mohan Charan Majhi government, alleging that the Kotia issue had been completely mishandled by the administration.
Amid the impasse, the then Union Home Minister convened a conciliatory meeting on September 12, 1968. The dispute resurfaced in 2021 when Andhra Pradesh, on February 13, 2021, notified a Gram Panchayat election in Phatusineri (Pattuchennuru). Andhra Pradesh subsequently notified elections to MPTC and ZPTC seats in Kotia, scheduled for April 8, 2021, prompting another contempt petition by Odisha seeking an injunction against the neighbouring State and its officials. A Congress delegation led by its state president, Bhakta Charan Das, is scheduled to visit Kotia on Tuesday (October 27, 2026).
