Andhra polls put Kotia back in spotlight; Naveen Patnaik asks if BJP-TDP alliance holding Odisha back

BHUBANESWAR: Leader of opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday wrote to chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, questioning the state government’s silence after Andhra Pradesh announced panchayat elections that could extend to disputed villages in Kotia, “an integral part of Odisha”.

In the letter dated Oct 19, Patnaik asked what had become of the BJP’s pre-2024 manifesto promise that a “double engine government” would resolve the Kotia issue “once and for all” and restore "Odia Swabhiman". He asked whether the “Go Back Andhra” slogan was merely a gimmick to win votes.