Leader of Opposition and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Monday, 19 October 2026, wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, expressing “grave concern” over Andhra Pradesh's announcement of elections in Kotia — a cluster of villages Odisha considers an integral part of its territory. The letter puts the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the defensive over pre-election promises to resolve the long-standing border dispute.

What Patnaik's Letter Said

In his letter, the former Chief Minister recalled that the then BJD-led government had consistently fought to protect Odisha's territorial integrity over Kotia. Patnaik noted that BJP leaders had themselves raised the slogan ‘Go Back Andhra’ in the past and had repeatedly asserted that Kotia belongs to Odisha.

He quoted directly from the BJP's pre-2024 election manifesto, which had promised that a “Double Engine Government” would “resolve the Kotia issue once and for all, safeguard Odisha’s territorial integrity, and restore Odia Swabhiman.” He asked pointedly: “What happened to these promises?”

The TDP Alliance Factor

Patnaik also drew attention to the political arithmetic at the Centre. Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which governs Andhra Pradesh, is a crucial ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. He asked whether Odisha's silence on the issue stemmed from political dependence on this alliance.

“Is political dependence the reason for the Odisha BJP government’s silence and its willingness to compromise Odisha’s interests and territorial integrity?” he wrote. The question strikes at a structural tension within the NDA coalition — where a state BJP government may be constrained by its ally's actions in a neighbouring state.

The Kotia Committee and Unanswered Questions

The BJD president also sought an update on the 16-member high-level Kotia Committee constituted in 2025, asking for the panel's recommendations and any action taken to implement them. The committee's findings, which remain publicly undisclosed, have become a focal point in the Opposition's accountability push.

This comes amid a broader pattern of the Kotia dispute resurfacing ahead of electoral cycles, with Andhra Pradesh periodically asserting administrative presence in the region. Notably, the dispute has remained unresolved for decades despite multiple high-level committees and court references.

Patnaik's Demands

The former Chief Minister urged Chief Minister Majhi to act decisively and take all necessary steps to safeguard Odisha's sovereignty over Kotia. “The people of Odisha deserve clear answers and accountability on these commitments,” he wrote.

He also questioned whether the ‘Go Back Andhra’ slogan was “merely an election gimmick,” warning that Odisha must not “yield to pressure from the Centre” on constitutional rights over the region. The Majhi government has not issued a formal response as of the time of this report. How the BJP administration navigates this — balancing NDA coalition compulsions against regional sentiment — will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.