Public CompanyAP in a political bind over Telangana in 2009
The Telangana imbroglio got Andhra Pradesh in a political bind towards the end of 2009 with the Congress struggling hard to find a way out of the mess as votaries for and against a separate state showed no signs of relenting.
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From being envied as a role-model state, it took only a month for Andhra Pradesh to be thrown into a spell of uncertainty and turmoil.
The ongoing strife has also exposed the political vacuum that the state plunged into following the tragic death of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash on September 2.
It was under Reddy"s leadership that the Congress successfully retained power in the state and also sent the largest contingent of MPs to the Centre in the general elections in April/May this year.
The state was cruising well on the path of development until his demise caused an upheaval. The state has not really recovered from the tragedy, as the administrative machinery virtually collapsed following one crisis after another.
Senior leader K Rosaiah was entrusted with the task of restoring normalcy but he faced internal dissensions with supporters of former Chief Minister"s son Jaganmohan Reddy wanting him to be at the helm of affairs in the state.
For about two months, the Congress in the state stood grossly divided on the issue with a majority of the legislators backing Jagan as the successor to his late father.
After a lot of dilly-dallying, the Congress high command finally succeeded in containing the rebellion in the party by endorsing the candidature of Rosaiah for the Chief Minister"s post.
Before Rosaiah could settle down, he was confronted with the demand for creation of a separate Telangana state.
The resultant political crisis has left the state divided on regional lines while the major political players too find themselves on the edge.
The ruling Congress stands vertically divided, so is the principal opposition Telugu Desam on the statehood issue. The other main opposition Praja Rajyam has lost ground in Telangana with its chief K Chiranjeevi reversing his stand to support a unified state.
The separatist Telangana Rashtra Samiti is fighting a do-or-die battle as a last ditch effort to keep its flag flying.
As the Telangana crisis deepened, the Centre sought to put the issue on the backburner by stating that wider consultations would be held with political parties to evolve a consensus on the issue.