Koraput: Amid heightened tension over Andhra Pradesh’s proposed rural elections in the disputed Kotia region, Odisha officials on Friday intercepted a vehicle allegedly engaged in distributing election campaign pamphlets near Ranasing village in Koraput district and handed it over to police for verification and further action.The vehicle was intercepted by Pottangi tehsildar Debendra Dharua and Kotia officer on special duty (OSD) Saurav Dash during their visit to Ranasing, one of the 21 villages at the centre of the decades-old territorial dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.According to officials, the vehicle was allegedly being used to distribute election-related pamphlets ahead of the neighbouring state’s Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections scheduled for Nov 5.Confirming the development, Dharua said the vehicle was intercepted during a field visit after officials noticed suspected election-related activities in the disputed area. “The vehicle has been handed over to police for verification and necessary action in accordance with the law,” said Dharua.He said the administration was keeping a close watch on developments in the border villages to maintain peace and prevent any activities that could disturb public order.The incident comes at a time when the Koraput district administration has intensified surveillance across the 21 disputed villages following Andhra Pradesh’s decision to conduct rural elections in the region.Andhra Pradesh had initially scheduled the rural polls for Nov 3 but subsequently deferred them to Nov 5, as counting of votes for its urban elections is scheduled for Nov 3.The neighbouring state’s move to conduct elections in the disputed villages has triggered fresh concerns in Odisha, which maintains that Kotia is an integral part of its territory.The Koraput administration has already deployed police personnel at three strategic check posts, including Neradivalasa, Harmadingi Chhack near Phatusenari and Tolosembi, to monitor movement in the sensitive border region.The administration has also decided to impose prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to maintain law and order amid the election-related developments.
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