Hyderabad:
In its formula to carve out a new Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Congress has suggested that Hyderabad will serve as a shared capital for the two states for 10 years, after which it will be a part of Telangana.
(Read)The Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS, which has spearheaded the movement for a separate state in the last few years, has welcomed that cautiously, but wants more clarification on the status of the city.
"I am happy that it is announced with Hyderabad. That means Hyderabad is one district and other nine. We need clarification on what the common or shared capital means," TRS leader KT Rama Rao told NDTV, soon after the Congress Working Committee endorsed a decision to create India's 29th state, Telangana on Tuesday evening.
(Track latest updates)He reiterated, "We are happy with 10 districts and presume Hyderabad is one among us." Earlier in the evening, Mr Rao had warned that the ruling Congress would face "severe resistance" if Hyderabad was made a shared capital for the two states.
Which state will get Hyderabad, with its booming economy powered largely by the IT industry, if Telangana is separated, has been a contentious issue for long.
(Read: Telangana - the Congress gamble)The five-decade struggle for a Telangana state was forced on to the contemporary national agenda in 2009 by K Chandrasekhara Rao, KT Rama Rao's father and chief of the TRS. He fasted for 10 days, triggering huge rallies of support.
"We welcome the decision. I'm very happy. This is a victory for the martyrs of Telangana, who sacrificed their lives for the cause. But we require clarification on the common capital," he told NDTV yeserday.
In response, in December 2009, in a surprise announcement, the Centre said it was sanctioning statehood. But within days, the government backtracked as violent protests erupted in the other two regions - Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.