Kotia villagers slip across Odisha's border to vote in Andhra Pradesh local polls

Imagine living in a village that two states both claim as their own. On Thursday, that tension played out at the ballot box, as several voters from Kotia crossed the Odisha border to vote in Andhra Pradesh's local elections.

What happened?

Voters from Kotia gram panchayat (village council) took part in the MPTC and ZPTC elections (local body polls for sub-district and district councils) run by the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission. Andhra Pradesh had set up a polling booth for Kotia villagers at Sariki, inside its own territory.

Odisha tried to stop the movement. It deployed 16 platoons of police and set up three border checkpoints to restrict people's entry and exit. Even so, several voters sneaked out across the border.

Odisha's parties say it wasn't just about walking across. Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, from Koraput district, alleged that Andhra Pradesh leaders bribed people for their votes. He said some were taken across the boundary on Wednesday and returned after voting. BJD leader Bhrugu Buxipatra also said a few people crossed, but added that Odisha managed to stop Andhra Pradesh from setting up a booth inside its territory this time.

Koraput Sub-Collector Fabi Rasheed said security staff and Executive Magistrates were posted in border villages to prevent trouble. Villagers did cross, she said, but officials have no idea whether they voted.

Why is this so complicated?

Both states have claimed the villages since the 1950s. The row surfaced in 1955, when Andhra officials tried to collect land revenue there. In the 1954 and 1967 elections, some Kotia villagers voted in both states.

On the ground, life is just as mixed. Residents receive welfare benefits from both states, and some hold voter ID cards from both, voting according to whichever poll comes up.

What came before?

Odisha moved the Supreme Court in 1968. In March 2006, the court disposed of the case, saying it lacked jurisdiction because of the proviso to Article 131 of the Constitution, and ordered the status quo to be maintained. Legal experts say such matters are resolved only by Parliament.

In October this year, the Koraput District Collector filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, alleging Andhra Pradesh violated that 2006 order.

What's next?

The contempt petition is pending, and the larger dispute remains unresolved. For now, the villagers of Kotia remain caught between two states.