The possibility of the creation of a new entity called Rayala-Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, a move that is likely to add the two Rayalaseema districts of Anantapur and Kurnool to Telangana, has angered the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party chief who is against any deviation from the original plan of how the states will be bifurcated.
K Chandrasekhara Rao, or KCR, warned of a widespread agitation against any new plans that digress from the original plan of creating the new state or making it larger than originally discussed. KCR called for a strike in the Telengana region on Thursday. "Now is the time for each one of you to prove you are a KCR," he told NDTV on Tuesday, entreating people from the region to make sure that the shutdown is successful.
Calling for an impromptu press conference on Tuesday evening, KCR said he had received reliable information that the Congress is "veering towards" the creation of Rayala-Telangana.
"This is unacceptable to the people of Telangana. Let me make it clear that any deviation from the decision of the Congress Working Committee to create Telangana comprising the 10 districts would have dire consequences. In protest against such a move, I have called for a Telangana bandh on December 5 and appeal to all the people including educational institutions and traders to join the protest and ensure a total shutdown of the region. The nation must know how strong the Telangana agitation is," he told reporters.
KCR fought for the formation of Telangana and has masterminded the campaign that resulted in the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. According to the plan, Telangana would become India's 29th state. The remaining parts of the state will consist of the regions of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra. It was also decided that the IT hub of Hyderabad will serve as a shared capital for 10 years. After the completion of the said period, the city will belong to Telengana.
The TRS chief and his party insists that Telengana must only have 10 districts, while the Centre wants two more districts from Rayalaseema to be added to the new state. The move would give Andhra Pradesh and the new Telengana state 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats each - something that the government thinks would be sensible in the run-up to the upcoming national elections in May.
KCR has deemed Rayala-Telangan unacceptable because voters would reprimand him for allowing non-Telangana districts into the state, giving them access to the region's scarce resources.
