Politics

AP Minister Accuses Odisha Officials of Intimidating Tribal Voters in Kotia Villages

By P. Sujatha Varma, Sujatha Varma P 6049

Andhra Pradesh Minister for Tribal Welfare Gummidi Sandhya Rani condemned what she said were intimidation tactics by Odisha government officials against tribal communities in the Kotia villages. In a statement released on Wednesday, the minister alleged that Odisha officials had been creating fear among residents of 29 villages and pressuring them to boycott the elections. She described the alleged attempts to intimidate tribal voters and candidates as undemocratic and unacceptable. The minister questioned the reported detention and concealment of tribal residents, asking whether preventing people from exercising their voting rights and restricting their freedom of movement was justified. She also expressed concern over reports that vehicles belonging to tribal residents were being seized because officials feared they might travel to cast their votes. Ms. Sandhya Rani further alleged that Odisha officials had been creating disturbances in Kotia villages over the past few days and had behaved in a high‑handed manner toward Andhra Pradesh officials and police personnel. She questioned the urgency shown over a Supreme Court status‑quo order that, according to her, had been in existence for a long time. The minister maintained that the responsibility for deciding on any postponement of elections rested with the Election Commission and that no one had the right to pressure tribal communities or candidates into boycotting the electoral process. Emphasising that the freedom and voting rights of innocent tribal people must be protected, she urged Odisha officials to act democratically, refrain from intimidating villagers and respect their constitutional rights. “The Andhra Pradesh government will stand firmly by the tribal communities and will not tolerate any attempts to deprive them of their freedom and voting rights,” the minister asserted. Ms. Sandhya Rani’s remarks come amid renewed tensions over the long‑standing territorial and administrative dispute surrounding the Kotia group of villages along the Andhra Pradesh‑Odisha border, where competing claims and election‑related developments have remained contentious.