Vijayawada:
While Hyderabad has seen intense action, mass resignation and massive student protests over the issue of creating a separate state for Telangana, the state's coastline is now witnessing protests.
"Don't cut Andhra into pieces, we all can live like brothers," said a protester.
A sentiment that's echoing across the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and, while Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader K Chandrasekhar Rao's fast triggered the move for Telangana, Congress MP L Rajagopal from Vijayawada plans to begin a fast against Telangana.
"Hunger strike what I said, if resolution is not moved in the House, I've got no choice but to go on a hunger strike. I stick to that," said L Rajagopal, MP, Congress.
The venue for this counter-agitation is Vijayawada, the geographical and business centre of Andhra Pradesh.
Although Vijayawada has a chance to be a prospective capital if at all Andhra Pradesh is bifurcated, it has ironically emerged as the rallying point for a united Andhra Pradesh movement.
"Vijayawada is the political centre of Andhra Pradesh, it's the next big city after Hyderabad, by starting the movement here, we can take it to Rayalaseema as well as the coast," said Jogi Ramesh, Congress leader, convenor of Samaikya Andhra Pradesh.
It is clear, the move to carve Telangana out of present-day Andhra Pradesh has pitched the people of this region against those from Telangana, a sentiment cutting across party lines.