Hyderabad:
Today is Andhra Pradesh's formation day but in the state there is little reason to cheer for. Pro-Telangana groups say the day symbolises the betrayal of Telangana. It was on this day that the Telangana districts were merged with the coastal and rayala-seema districts 55 years ago to make Andhra Pradesh the first state to be formed on linguistic basis in 1956.
Andhra Pradesh Formation Day on November 1 has ironically become a symbolic occasion to demand division of the state. Former minister and Congress MLA Komtireddy Venkat Reddy, who quit for the cause of a separate Telangana, is sitting on an indefinite fast.
"Because the public is losing confidence on the party, that is why our MLCs and cadre are going to other parties," said Mr Reddy.
For the Congress, it becomes yet another public embarrassment. On Sunday, three Congress MLAs quit the party and joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
"If some MLAs and MPs want to join us, we most definitely welcome them," said TRS MLA KT Rama Rao.
"Unless and until we build pressure on Telangana public representatives and also the high command, the leadership will not take a decision on Telangana," said former Congress minister J Krishna Rao.
The TRS-led Joint Action Committee that had proposed a 72-hour fast to observe what it called a 'Betrayal Day' for Telangana, but did not go ahead as not all Telangana MLAs were willing to join the protest action.
Even as there is worry that more Congress leaders could abandon what many see as a sinking ship in Telangana, the Congress leadership is trying to assuage the ministers in Telangana and has avoided public embarrassment to them by deputing the respective district collector to unfurl the national flag on AP Formation Day.
Union Home minister P Chidambaram on Monday indicated in Delhi that there could be some decision on Telangana after Bakri eid.