Bhubaneswar/Koraput: Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday accused the Andhra Pradesh govt of creating a “constitutional crisis” in the disputed Kotia region by going ahead with panchayat elections despite a Supreme Court directive to maintain status quo.His remarks came amid heightened tension after police personnel from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh faced off in the area, two days before the neighbouring state is due to conduct panchayat elections in the disputed territory.“If a state does not obey a Supreme Court order, it creates a constitutional crisis. If the same locality has representatives from two states, it will lead to a constitutional collapse. We are exploring what more can be done,” Pujari said.On Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh police personnel allegedly tried to dismantle barricades erected by Odisha police at Neradivalsa village to prevent unauthorised entry into the disputed region.Admitting that a tussle between police personnel of the two states had taken place at Neradivalsa village, Koraput SP Rohit Verma said the Andhra police team was not allowed to enter Kotia.“We have deployed at least 16 platoons of police in Kotia to prevent any untoward incident in view of the upcoming rural polls,” Verma said.Senior officers including ASPs, DSPs and inspectors have been deployed, while three checkpoints are operational, he added.Koraput sub-collector Fabi Rasheed, who rushed to Neradivalsa, objected to the alleged attempt by Andhra officials to enter the disputed territory.The face-off came a day after Odisha police intercepted an Andhra Pradesh-registered truck carrying PDS rice near the same checkpost.Andhra Pradesh has continued welfare and administrative activities in the disputed villages and has initiated the election process despite Odisha’s objections. With polling approaching, Odisha has intensified its administrative and security presence in Kotia.On Oct 23, Odisha had filed a contempt petition in Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh’s activities in Kotia.The interstate dispute involves 28 villages in Kotia gram panchayat of Koraput district, with Andhra Pradesh laying claim to 21.Pujari said opposition to Andhra Pradesh’s move cuts across party lines, with Congress MLAs Rama Chandra Kadam and Tara Prasad Bahinipati and BJP MLA Raghuram Machha, along with social organisations, backing Odisha’s stand.“Kotia was, is and will remain an integral part of Odisha. No state can snatch it away,” Pujari said, adding that the govt has lined up other measures to safeguard the state’s interests.