Kotia, Oct 29: Andhra Pradesh has revised the schedule for panchayat elections in the disputed Kotia region, shifting polling from November 3 to November 5 and fixing November 7 for vote counting. The move has once again brought the long-standing border dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha into the political spotlight.

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The revised election schedule has triggered renewed political activity in Kotia, with parties in Odisha stepping up efforts to assess the ground situation and understand the impact of Andhra Pradesh’s election-related activities in the border region.

Teams from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have visited Kotia in recent days. Meanwhile, a Congress fact-finding team toured the region on Tuesday following instructions from Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das.

During the visit, Congress leaders interacted with local residents and gathered information about the issues confronting people in the border villages. The team also sought to understand the prevailing situation and the activities linked to Andhra Pradesh’s panchayat elections.

Kotia, comprising villages in the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border region, has remained a point of contention between the two states, with competing administrative claims and efforts to strengthen their respective presence in the area.

The latest revision of the polling schedule has intensified political discussions in Odisha, where the developments are being closely watched amid concerns over the state’s administrative presence and the welfare of residents in the disputed region.

With voting now scheduled for November 5 and counting on November 7, attention is expected to remain focused on Kotia and the political implications of the election process. The latest developments have renewed calls for a closer assessment of the situation and sustained efforts to safeguard Odisha’s interests in the border area.