Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh's journey began in 1913, when Telugu speakers from the Andhra Mahajana Sabha demanded a separate province out of the northern Madras state.

In 1937, the Sri Bagh Pact resolved Rayalaseema's concerns, promising a unified and equally represented Andhra. The Wardha Resolution by the INC pledged to form an Andhra state upon gaining power, after which calls for linguistic provinces gained momentum. However, post-Independence, the Dhar Commission and JVP Commission advised delaying linguistic state reorganization out of fear of de-prioritising national consolidation.

The 1952 a was pivotal year. Sri Potti Sriramulu went on a hunger strike in protest of the government's disregard for a separate Andhra, shockingly leading to his death on December 17. The public outrage and property destruction that ensued prompted Nehru to announce the formation of the state of Andhra Pradesh (with the Telangana region remaining in the Madras state). This materialised on October 1, 1953, with Kurnool being declared as the capital. Soon after, the State Reorganisation Commission was formed to redraw boundaries across the country, considering linguistic and cultural factors.

In year 1955-56, the Visalandhra movement to merge Telangana with Andhra Pradesh gained traction. The Gentlemen’s Agreement of October 1956 was signed by leaders from both sides to protect their respective interests; the combined state of Andhra Pradesh was formed a month later, on November 1.

However, the people of Telangana were dissatisfied with the nature of governance. In 2001, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was formed by Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), and the demand for a separate Telangana state intensified. KCR's hunger strike prompted Home Minister P. Chidambaram to announce the creation of Telangana. The saga concluded in 2014 with the passing of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act to bifurcate erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad city remained the joint capital for 10 years, with a new city called Amaravati being declared the future capital.