Andhra transgressed Odisha territory to announce Panchayat polls: Odisha seeks contempt action in SC

Notification for Panchayat polls was issued on March 5 but it was kept secret and Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat members were elected unopposed in 2 villages

The Odisha government has approached the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the Andhra Pradesh top officers for "willfully violating" a 1968 status quo order by declaring Panchayat polls in three villages of Koraput district and claiming those as part of Vizianagaram district.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the Odisha government mentioned the matter before a bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde for urgent hearing. The top court decided to consider the application on Friday.

The application filed by advocate Sibo Sankar Mishra contended that the conduct of the Andhra government's officers, including the Chief Secretary and the State Election Commissioner, has been shocking in view of directions by this court which has been punctually observed by all concerned since February 2, 1968.

"The state has been administering continuously the three Kotiya group of villages apart from electing representatives for local bodies, Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies. Therefore, the attempt to conduct the election in newly self-named three villages pertaining to the territory of petitioner state is nothing but willful attempt to sabotage dictum of this court," it said.

The notification for Panchayat polls was issued on March 5, 2020, but it was kept secret and Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat members were elected unopposed in two villages and one village was to see a contest and the nomination centre has been kept at 20 km away at Vizianagaram district, it said.

The Andhra Pradesh had willfully and deliberately violated the Supreme Court order of December 2, 1968, and the judgment of March 30, 2006, by transgressing into Odisha’s territory, it claimed.