With AP, Odisha Elections Around, Kotia Villages in Spotlight

Visakhapatnam: Announcement of elections in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have once more introduced the long-standing dispute between the 2 states over villages in Kotia space into highlight. The 22 villages, nestled in hills between the 2 states, have been a bone of competition between Odisha and AP ever since formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1952.

Kotia villages have roughly 12,800 voters. Of those, some are voters within the Pottangi meeting constituency in Odisha. These voters can forged their ballots in election for the Araku Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh.

Likewise, there are voters in Salur meeting constituency of AP, who can train their franchise for electing the candidate from Koraput Lok Sabha seat.

That is the place the problem lies. If a Kotia voter casts his poll in Odisha’s Pottangi constituency, authorities ink her or his index finger. Subsequently, if they arrive to Andhra Pradesh to vote to elect their candidate from the Araku Lok Sabha seat, authorities can object, as their finger has already been inked.

To resolve the difficulty, collectors and SPs of Parvathipuram Manyam in AP participated in a web based assembly with their counterparts in Rayagada and Koraput districts of Odisha. Publish the assembly, Parvathipuram Manyam collector Nishant Kumar mentioned they’ve left the selection of voting in both state to voters of Kotia villages.

Koraput district collector V. Keerthi Vasan and Rayagada collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan have additionally given the same response.

The way of voting can be handled as is being finished traditionally. No district administration, whether or not of Odisha or AP, will impede the voters.

For instance, if a voter votes in Pottangi constituency of Odisha, his / her left hand index finger can be marked with the indelible ink. The voter can then proceed to their voting sales space in AP to forged their vote in favour of the MP of their alternative. Then, the voter’s proper hand index finger can be inked.

All of the three district collectors and SPs have emphasised on permit voters to forged their votes in a free and honest method.

By the way, all of the three districts may have voting on the identical day.

Officers of the 2 states are coordinating with every, particularly in curbing illicit liquor, monitoring distribution of freebies, and shifting polling personnel over the borders of the districts.