Ranjit Mahanti
TELANGANA is all set to be born as the 29th state of India at the stroke of Sunday midnight ie on June 2. With this, Andhra Pradesh will be formally split into two. Telangana will comprise 10 districts including Hyderabad while the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh will have 13 districts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. Hyderabad will serve as the common capital of the two states for 10 years.
President’s rule imposed in united Andhra Pradesh would be revoked partially on Monday to facilitate the swearing-in of a government in the newly-created Telangana headed by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao.
The TRS which spearheaded the movement for separate state and will form the first government in Telangana Monday, has painted Hyderabad pink – the colour of its flag. The Telangana party will kick off as the clock strikes 12. The special firecrackers ordered from Mumbai will go off at 120 main junctions and roads across Hyderabad.
The official song of Telangana state will be played at several places, mainly at Tank Bund and Necklace Road along the Hussain Sagar lake, which divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The beautified some key areas, will illuminate historic monuments like Charminar, Golconda Fort, the state assembly and Jubliee Hall.
This will bring curtains on undivided Andhra Pradesh formed on Nov 1, 1956 with the merger of Telangana with the then Andhra State.
Chandrasekhar Rao is scheduled to be sworn in as chief minister at 8.15am at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Monday by Governor ESL Narasimhan, who will be the Governor for both Telangana and the residual Andhra Pradesh.
After taking oath as first chief minister of separate Telangana, Chandrasekhar Rao would attend the official celebration of ‘Telangana Formation Day’ at the sprawling Parade Grounds in Hyderabad.