Hyderabad:
If Andhra Pradesh is to be split to create a separate Telangana state, then there are
similar demands from other regions in the state too.
Andhra Pradesh has 23 districts, including the state capital Hyderabad, in three regions coastal Andhra (nine), Rayalaseema (four) and Telangana (ten).
Since its inception in 2001, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has been fighting for creation of a separate Telangana state. Telangana region now accounts for 119 of the 294 seats in the Assembly and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha members.
The TRS feels the struggle for Telangana has now reached a decisive stage with the fast-unto-death launched by its leader and former Union Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao 11 days ago.
The TRS, though, is not in full control of the ongoing agitation, what with the students, government employees, lawyers and other sections of the society taking it over.
The Bharatiya Janata Party which in fact had sown the seed for the separate statehood movement with the slogan of one vote, two states in 1998 is trying to spearhead it.
The first movement of a separate Telangana state started way back in 1969 and met with a gory end in 1971. As a counter, the Jai Andhra agitation was taken up in 1972-73.
As the fresh movement for Telangana is picking up momentum and even acquiring a violent hue now, voices are being raised with the demand for creation of other smaller states by splitting AP further.
Along with Telangana, there is now the demand for a separate Andhra, separate Rayalaseema and even a separate north-coastal Andhra.
Topping it all is the demand for making (Greater) Hyderabad a Union Territory! Now, within these demands is the latest addition: a Greater Rayalaseema.
Rayalaseema region actually comprises four districts: Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Chittoor. It accounts for 52 of the Assembly seats and 8 MPs.
Leaders of this region have now raised a demand for including Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore and Prakasam districts in Rayalaseema, thereby making it a Greater state.
SPS Nellore and Prakasam districts are now part of coastal Andhra, that stretches up to Srikakulam bordering Orissa, along the Bay of Bengal coast.
This, of course, only if Telangana is indeed separated from Andhra Pradesh.
On the other hand, people of north-coastal Andhra which consists of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts are demanding that the three districts be formed into a separate state in the event of bifurcating AP.
That would then leave coastal Andhra with only four districts Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari. Now the coastal Andhra has 123 MLAs and 17 MPs.
Since it is well-developed, has a cosmopolitan character and a greater stature with a population touching nearly a crore, the general demand is for converting Hyderabad into a Union Territory like Chandigarh.
Interestingly, people of either Rayalaseema or coastal Andhra are strong proponents of an integrated Andhra Pradesh.
Our demands are only subject to the formation of Telangana state. Otherwise, we are for a unified AP, they assert.
Political observers feel that the demand for Rayalaseema, north-coastal Andhra or Andhra state is only to dilute the Telangana demand.
Even the demand for UT status for Hyderabad is also a similar ploy, they point out.
It is mostly the Congress leaders who are trying to champion the cause of Rayalaseema, Andhra or north-coastal Andhra.
It was late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who encouraged these people only to counter the TRS. Even now the same tactics are being used in the wake of the stepped up agitation for Telangana, a former minister and senior Congress leader from Rayalaseema said.
Of course, students and other sections have also started joining the (revived) Jai Andhra movement in important cities like Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur.
Some influential Congress MPs are providing tacit support in the name of safeguarding the Andhra pride and self-respect", observers say.