Telangana or Telengana or Telingana (Telugu: తెలంగాణ) is a region of Andhra Pradesh state in India. It has been proposed as a new state in December 2009. The name means “land of Telugus”. It comprises of the Telugu speaking parts of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. The region lies on the Deccan plateau to the west of the Eastern Ghats range, and includes the northwestern interior districts of Warangal, Adilabad, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, and the state capital, Hyderabad. The Krishna and Godavari rivers flow through the region from west to east.
In 2004, for Assembly and Parliament elections, the Congress party and the TRS had an electoral alliance in the Telangana region with the promise of a separate Telangana State. Congress came to power in the state and formed a coalition government at the centre. TRS joined the coalition government in 2004 and was successful in making a separate Telangana state a part of the common minimum program (CMP) of the coalition government.In September 2006 TRS withdrew support for the Congress led coalition government at the centre on the grounds of indecision by the government over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana.
In December 2006, the TRS won the by-election to the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency with a record margin.
There was pressure on the Congress party to create a Telangana state in 2008.
All TRS legislators in Parliament and in State (4MPs, 16MLAs, 3MLCs) resigned in the 1st week of March 2008 and forced by-elections to increase the pressure on Congress party, and to intensify the movement.
By-elections for the 16 MLA seats, 4 MP seats were held May 29, 2008. During the election campaign the TRS party said it is a referendum on a Telangana state but both Congress and TDP parties said it is not a referendum on Telangana and also said that they are not opposed to the formation of Telangana state. To the disappointment of Telangana proponents TRS retained only 7 out of 16 MLA seats and 2 out of 4 MP seats after the by-elections.
In June 2008, Devender Goud, who is considered number two in the TDP, a politbureau member and Deputy Leader of the Telugu Desam Legislature Party, resigned from the party saying he would devote his time and energy to the formation of a separate Telangana state. In July 2008, Mr Goud along with some other leaders like Mr. E Peddi Reddy formed a new party called Nava Telangana Praja Party.
On 9 October 2008, in a historical turnaround from its 26-year history TDP announced its support for the creation of Telengana.
Symbolic declaration of statehood
The Nava Telangana Party, led by the former home minister of Andhra Pradesh, T Devender Goud, declared Telangana as a separate province within India on November 2, 2008. Konda Laxman Bapuji announced that “We solemnly declare statehood for Telangana on November 2, 2008.” Goud released ten pigeons in the air symbolising the ten districts of the region, while he also unfurled the national flag on the occasion. Along with his party activists he was later arrested when they tried to barge into the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat to change the name plate from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana. A scuffle then followed between the police and the NTP workers before the party workers were taken to the Chikkadapalli police station. Other NTP workers soon descended on the scene and staged a dharna to protest against the arrest.
2009 and later
In February 2009, state government declared that it had no objection, in principle, to the formation of separate Telangana and that the time had come to move forward decisively on this issue. To resolve issues related to it the government constituted joint house committee.
Ahead of the 2009 General Elections in India all the major parties in Andhra Pradesh supported Telangana state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) again announced their policy of having smaller states and will create 2 more states Telangana and Gorkhaland if they win the election.
Congress Party still says it is committed to Telangana statehood, but claims Muslim minorities are opposed to creation of separate state along with majority of people. Analysts, however, feel that the “Muslim reluctance card” has been very smartly played by late Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who is opposed tooth and nail to the formation of the new state.
Telugu Desam Party(TDP) promised to work for Telangana statehood. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) joined a Mahakutami (or grand alliance) with TDP and left parties to defeat the Congress party for denying statehood for Telangana.
Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), newly founded by film star Chiranjeevi, too supports Telangana statehood. Nava Telangana Party merged with PRP after it realized that there is not enough political space for two sub-regional Telangana parties with Telananga statehood as main agenda.
Several political parties, including some Telangana congress leaders, criticized Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), when he changed his stand from pro-Telangana and gave anti-Telangana statements after the polls.
Congress returned to power both at center and state. TRS and the grand alliance lost the elections in overwhelming fashion.
In September 2009, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) died in a chopper crash while flying in bad weather.
In the first week of Dec 2009, the TRS president, K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) started a fast-unto-death demanding that the Congress party introduce a Telangana bill in the Parliament.Student organizations, employee unions and various organizations joined the movement. Scores of people commited suicide in support of Telangana state. Telangana bandh (strike) shuts down Telangana on Dec 6th and 7th. Student organizations planned a massive rally at state legislature(Assembly) on Dec 10th. Government warned that the rally does not have permission and deployed police troops though out Telangana. The decline of KCR’s health has contributed to a sense of urgency for the central government to take a decision on the issue of Telangana statehood.
Telangana state formation process
On Dec 9th 2009, 11:30 PM, Mr. P. Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs announced that a resolution in the Andhra Pradesh assembly for the creation of a separate Telangana state would be introduced. Mr. Chidambaram also informed that process for the formation of a separate Telangana state will be initiated soon. Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah however stated that the resolution will not be introduced in the current assembly session. KCR ending his 11 day fast said from his hospital bed that this a true victory of the people of Telangana. The TRS has stated that they would be willing to wait until 2014 for the formation of a separate state.
On December 10, 2009, Indian government has agreed to start the process of forming a separate Telangana. Central government asked Andhra Pradesh state government to pass of a resolution in the legislative assembly (as per article 3 of Constitution.
Telangana celebrated the central government decision while non-Telangana regions of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions (Andhra region) protested.
Several members of Andhra Pradesh’s legislature submitted their resignations to protest the creation of the new state. As of 16 December, at least 147 legislators (including Praja Rajyam Founder Chiranjeevi) and many Members of Parliament had resigned in protest of the Government’s decision to carve out a new state of Telangana. 22 Ministers form the State Cabinet have submitted their resignation. All of the Legislators/MPs’ resigned belong to Andhra (Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) region.
On December 9, 2009, the Government of India announced that it plans to introduce a resolution in the state assembly seeking separation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.
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