BHUBANESWAR: A BJD delegation will visit Kotia on Friday to ascertain the ground realities following the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to hold panchayat election in three villages there.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty told mediapersons that the 16-member delegation to be coordinated by former Koraput MP Jhina Hikaka will interact with local residents, assess the prevailing situation and gather first-hand information regarding the steps taken by the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha governments.
The team will include former ministers Jagannath Saraka, Rabi Narayan Nanda and Ramesh Majhi, former MP Pradeep Majhi and BJD general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra, among others. The delegation will prepare a detailed report and submit it to party president Naveen Patnaik for further deliberation and appropriate action, he said.
Mohanty said the BJD is firm on safeguarding the territorial integrity of Odisha through appropriate and effective measures. “The party believes that the concerns of the local population deserve serious attention and the state government should take all necessary steps to protect Odisha’s interests,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking his intervention in the Kotia issue in view of the seriousness of the matter and its implications for Odisha’s territorial integrity. Referring to the BJP’s election manifesto ahead of the 2024 elections, Naveen had questioned the BJP government over its failure to fulfil its promises on the Kotia issue.
Mohanty said the BJP had promised that a “double-engine government” would resolve the Kotia issue once and for all and restore Odia Swabhiman.