Showing solidarity for the fight for Odisha’s land Kotia against Andhra Pradesh, all three major political parties in the State, BJD, BJP and Congress, on Thursday came together and decided to give consensus candidates for Kotia in the panchayat elections.
The decision was taken at an all-party meeting held here in the presence of BJD Koraput district president Ishwar Panigrahi, senior BJP leader Jairam Pangi and district Congress president Minakshi Bahinipati.
It was decided that one candidate for each post of Ward Member, Sarpanch and Panchayat Samiti Member and Zilla Parishad Member of Kotia panchayat would be announced with mutual understanding and the concerned candidates would resign from their political parties.
Meanwhile, Koraput Collector Md Abdaal Akhtar said elections would be held as usual in all the 13 wards of Kotia and stern action would be taken against those who try to disrupt the poll process.
There are more than 5,000 voters in the 13 wards of 28 revenue villages and 12 other villages in the panchayat which will go for voting on February 18.
