PARVATHIPURAM-MANYAM: Defying restrictions and heightened security measures imposed by Odisha, hundreds of voters from 21 disputed villages in the Kotia region trekked 7-14 km through forest routes to cast their votes in the Andhra Pradesh MPTC elections on Thursday.
Polling for four Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) under Salur mandal concluded peacefully, barring a few minor disruptions. Voters from the disputed villages reached polling stations at Sarika and Thonam, with some arriving on Wednesday night and staying with relatives to exercise their franchise. The turnout was nearly 40%, considerably higher than in the February 2021 elections.
Salur Tahsildar M Suresh said around 1,200 of the 2,899 registered voters from the disputed region exercised their franchise. Parvathipuram-Manyam SP S V Madhava Reddy said the turnout was 32% higher than in the previous elections, attributing the improvement to the sense of security instilled by the police. He credited the coordinated efforts of police officers and personnel for the peaceful conduct of polling.
Minister for Women and Child Welfare and Tribal Welfare Gummadi Sandhyarani visited Ganjaibhadra and interacted with families affected by restrictions imposed by Odisha officials.
The Kotia dispute involves 21 of the 28 villages in the cluster along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border. Both States have claimed administrative jurisdiction over these villages since 1930, and the matter has been pending before the Supreme Court since 1968. Residents possess identity cards, ration cards and Aadhaar cards issued by both States and have participated in elections conducted by both governments.
Tension escalated after the BJP and Opposition parties in Odisha jointly opposed AP’s decision to hold local body elections in the disputed region. Odisha deployed more than 16 platoons of security personnel, blocked roads and set up check-posts to prevent voters from reaching polling stations. It also detained TDP candidate Tadangi Chiranjeevi and YSRCP candidate Majji Kanpur. Following the restrictions, Andhra Pradesh shifted a polling station from Neridivalasa to Sarika.
Despite the hurdles, villagers turned up to vote. Gemmeli Bishu of Ganjaibhadra told TNIE that Odisha officials and police had threatened residents against participating in the elections. He said villagers trekked nearly 7 km to vote.