Bhubaneswar: A day before Andhra Pradesh panchayat elections scheduled to be held in Odisha’s disputed Kotia, a political slugfest erupted on Wednesday, with the BJP govt asserting the state’s rights over the territory, BJD president Naveen Patnaik urging CM Mohan Charan Majhi to seek the Centre’s immediate intervention and Congress blaming both the present and previous govts for the situation.Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari asserted that Odisha would not allow Andhra Pradesh to make inroads into Kotia. “Because a few people of Kotia speak Telugu, it does not empower Andhra Pradesh to claim the area as its own,” he said.Pujari alleged that people from Andhra Pradesh were entering Odisha territory to lure voters with rice and monetary benefits, but were driven out by Kotia residents. “If they try to enter our territory in future, they will be driven out,” he said, adding that prohibitory orders restricting gatherings of more than five people had been imposed in the area.Naveen, in his second letter to Majhi on Kotia since Oct 19, said the situation on the ground had “further deteriorated”, with reports of growing tension and confrontation between officials of the two states. He expressed concern over Andhra Pradesh proceeding with the elections in Kotia despite the implications for Odisha.“In view of the prevailing tension and the imminent elections, I urge you to take up the matter with the central and Andhra Pradesh govts at the highest level,” Naveen wrote. Pointing out that both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are governed by NDA constituents, the former CM urged Majhi to take urgent steps to protect Odisha’s territorial integrity, referring to the BJP’s 2024 election manifesto.Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das, however, blamed both the BJD and BJP for the situation, alleging that the previous Naveen govt had failed to pursue the dispute effectively, while the present BJP govt remained inactive.Das said Congress stood firmly with the state and its people and argued that the govt became active only after his party staged a protest in Kotia. He called on the BJP govt to ensure implementation of Supreme Court’s direction to maintain status quo and advocated a united approach to the dispute.At a separate press conference, BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra and party media coordinator Lenin Mohanty accused the BJP govt of failing to protect Odisha’s interests. Mohanty alleged that the Centre was reluctant to intervene because the Narendra Modi govt depended on Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s support.BJP state general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy hit back at the opposition. “Naveen babu has resorted to his favourite pastime of writing letters. He should first answer what he did during his 24 years as Odisha CM and offer constructive suggestions,” Tripathy said.He also targeted Congress, saying Das owed an explanation for what his party did when the Kotia dispute arose while Congress was in power at both the Centre and state. “The present govt is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that Kotia remains an integral part of Odisha,” he said.