Telangana: Near total bandh in coastal, southern AP

India is all set to get its 29th state – Telangana, which was endorsed by UPA allies and cleared by the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday evening.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: India is all set to get its 29th state – Telangana, which was endorsed by UPA allies and cleared by the powerful Congress Working Committee on Tuesday evening. While the decision has been welcomed by pro-Telangana supporters, those opposed to the move have termed it suicidal. Here are the updates:

Shutdown has been effective in coastal and southern Andhra Pradesh; near total bandh observed.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemns UPA government for endorsing statehood to Telangana, calls the decision "divisive politics". Mamata has also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking for the reasons behind the decision.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu calls on the Centre to develop a city at par with Hyderabad as the capital of Andhra Pradesh following the formation of Telangana.

The decision to create Telangana "seems to have been impelled by the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. It will give a fillip to demands for separate states in other places", says CPI(M).

Digvijay Singh says there is nothing wrong in having Hyderabad as joint capital for the two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Six state ministers who are opposed to the creation of Telangana state have submitted resignations to the Andhra CM, say reports.

Reports said Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is from the Rayalaseema region and is a staunch supporter of the "united Andhra Pradesh" cause, told his ministers today that the decision on Telangana was "painful" for him as well. He however added that there was now a need to look at the road ahead and how to move ahead on the new states.

P Ramesh Babu, Congress MLA from Pendurthy Assembly constituency, resigns to protest the Congress decision to form a separate Telangana state.

Decision is in favour of Telangana because ultimately Hyderabad will be Telangana`s capital, says Digvijay Singh. Decision is also in favour of Rayalaseema and Andhra so that both can progress and be self-reliant, he adds.

Until a new capital is formed for Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad will be capital of both states, says Congress` Digvijay Singh.

BJP and Narendra Modi should welcome the decision (on Telangana) and not question the delay, intentions behind the decision etc, says Jagdambika Pal of the Congress.

Effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi burnt during anti-Telangana protests.

The shutdown has hit normal life in Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram, Eluru, Kakinada, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Ongole, Chittoor, Tirupati, Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and other towns.

Hundreds of vehicles are on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad and the Chennai-Bhubaneswar highways.

Road transport has come to a standstill while shops, business establishments and educational institutions have remained closed in the two regions.

Protests have begun in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the two regions to maintain law and order.

Union Cabinet is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss Telangana - a separate state to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh. While the agenda of the special Cabinet meeting has not been disclosed, sources say it is most likely to take up and approve the creation of Telangana.

A day-long bandh has been called across coastal and southern Andhra Pradesh to protest the proposed creation of Telangana.

A `hurt` Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Guntur, said he was resigning from the party as well as his Parliamentary seat in protest.

Congress ministers and MPs from Andhra Pradesh are expected to meet state Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy today.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh told a press conference last evening that the creation of Telangana will take around four to five months. "The entire process should take around four to five months," he said.

After the Cabinet approves Telangana, the CWC resolution will be sent to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, which will have to approve it.

Next, the Central government would set up a group of ministers (GoM) which will go into the details of sharing the assets like water resources, boundary, finances and security related issues between Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh.

The Law Ministry will then draft a bill for creation of Telangana state which will be sent to the Union Home Ministry.

The suggestions of the state Assembly will not be binding on the Home Ministry.

The bill, once approved by the Union Cabinet, will then be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his approval.

It will then be sent to Parliament to be passed by a simple majority in both the Houses. Once approved by Parliament, the bill will again be sent to the President for his assent.