The Indian National Congress (INC) has played a pivotal role in the formation of the state of Telangana. Despite facing internal divisions and opposition from some of its members in Andhra Pradesh, the party’s decisive actions under the leadership of the Congress Working Committee, spearheaded by Sonia Gandhi, were crucial in advancing the state’s formation.

• Historically, the Congress party’s involvement with the Telangana issue dates back to 1956, when Andhra Pradesh was formed under a Congress-led government. The party’s approach to Telangana evolved through various movements and political pressures, including the Telangana movement in 1969 and the Jai Andhra movement in 1972, which led to the introduction of the Six-Point Formula in 1973 to address regional disparities.
• In the early 1970s, the Congress government under Indira Gandhi absorbed the Telangana Praja Samithi into the Congress party, temporarily diluting the separate statehood cause. However, by the 1990s, recognizing the ongoing demand for Telangana, the Congress party re-engaged actively with the movement. In 1992, the “Telangana Forum” was formed, led by Jana Reddy, which advocated strongly for regional rights, though Reddy later distanced himself from the issue after receiving a ministerial position.
• The creation of the “Telangana Congress Legislative Forum” in 2000, with 41 Congress MLAs under Chinna Reddy’s leadership, marked another significant effort to push for statehood. This forum successfully petitioned Sonia Gandhi, leading to a Congress Working Committee discussion and the subsequent formation of a subcommittee under Dr. Manmohan Singh, which further examined the statehood demand.

In response to the subcommittee’s findings, Sonia Gandhi wrote to the NDA government, advocating for the establishment of a Second States Reorganisation Commission to consider Telangana’s and other regions’ statehood demands. Despite some setbacks, such as Chinna Reddy’s withdrawal from the issue after his ministerial appointment in 2004, the Congress party’s alliance with the TRS in the 2004 elections and the inclusion of the Telangana issue in its manifesto underscored its commitment to addressing the demand for a separate state, ultimately contributing significantly to the creation of Telangana.

• In March 2004, at a public meeting in Karimnagar, Sonia Gandhi promised the formation of a separate Telangana state if the Congress came to power.
• The Congress government, formed at both the center and the state level in 2004, included the Telangana issue in the UPA’s Common Minimum Program.
• The commitment to Telangana was highlighted in the President’s speech at Parliament on June 7, 2004.
• A sub-committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee was established by the Congress-led UPA government to facilitate broader acceptance of the Telangana state formation.
• Concurrently, the “Telangana Congress Forum” was formed to advocate for statehood within the State Legislative Assembly and continue the movement for a separate state.
• In the 2009 election campaigns, the Congress party again promised the formation of a separate Telangana state.
• Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, during a campaign speech in Nandyal on April 16, 2009, expressed opposition to Telangana, suggesting that it would lead to residents needing passports to enter Hyderabad.
• Despite the opposition from within its ranks, the Congress party won the 2009 elections, and Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy served as Chief Minister for a second term.

• Following the death of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash while en route to a program in Chittoor district, Rosaiah assumed the role of Chief Minister.
• On October 9, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that Hyderabad would be considered a free zone for police recruitment, sparking protests from Telangana student and employee unions.
• KCR initiated a fast unto death on November 29, 2009, escalating the Telangana agitations. In response, Rosaiah called for an all-party meeting on December 7, 2009, at the Secretariat to deliberate on the Telangana issue.
• In the meeting, all political parties except CPI (M) and MIM agreed to the formation of a separate Telangana State. Following the discussions, Home Minister Chidambaram announced on December 9, 2009, that the process to form the state of Telangana would be initiated, with an appropriate resolution to be moved in the state assembly.
• Chidambaram’s announcement triggered protests in the Seemandhra region.
• In response to the backlash, Chidambaram issued another statement on December 23, 2009, stating that the formation of Telangana would only proceed following a resolution in the Assembly and that the formation of the state would be postponed until then.
• This subsequent statement led to renewed protests and agitations in Telangana.
• To continue pushing for statehood, all political parties and public organizations in Telangana formed the “Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC)” on December 24, 2009. The Congress party was among those that joined this new coalition.

• Top of FormOn January 5, 2010, the Central Government held an all-party meeting in Delhi to solicit opinions from political parties regarding the formation of a separate Telangana state. Eight political parties from the state were represented at this meeting. The Congress party delegates who attended included:

1. Uttam Kumar Reddy from the Telangana region.
2. Kavuri Sambasiva Rao from the Andhra region.

• Amid ongoing disagreements among political parties regarding the Telangana issue, the UPA government established the Sri Krishna Committee on February 3, 2010, to explore potential solutions.
• On February 19, 2010, the Congress party withdrew from the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC).
• Observing the political situation, the Central government appointed Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was then the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, as the Chief Minister, succeeding K. Rosaiah on November 24, 2010.
• The Sri Krishna Committee submitted its report to the Union Home Ministry on December 30, 2010, and the findings were made public on January 6, 2011.
• Protests erupted in Telangana in response to the Sri Krishna Committee report, which prioritized the option of a United Andhra Pradesh.
• Jupalli Krishna Rao, a Congress Minister from Telangana, resigned from his ministerial post on March 3, 2011, due to delays in the Telangana state formation process.
• In June 2011, Botsa Satyanarayana from the Andhra region was appointed as the President of the Pradesh Congress Committee (P.C.C.), replacing D. Srinivas from the Telangana region.

• At one point, the key leadership positions within the Andhra Pradesh government were occupied by leaders from the Andhra region: Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy served as Chief Minister, Nadendla Manohar was the Speaker, and Botsa Satyanarayana held the position of P.C.C. President.
• Despite Sonia Gandhi’s support for the formation of a separate Telangana, concerns about potential resignations from Congress MPs from the Andhra region, which could threaten the UPA government’s majority, led to delays in the state formation process.
• However, on July 30, 2013, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) officially approved the creation of Telangana, including 10 districts.
• Progress continued as the Congress-led UPA government introduced the State Reorganization Bill in the Lok Sabha on February 13, 2014. The bill passed in the Lok Sabha on February 18, 2014, and was introduced and passed in the Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014.
• On March 4, 2014, the UPA government designated June 2 as Telangana Formation Day.
• The Congress party managed to introduce the Separate Telangana State Bill in both houses of Parliament and secured support from opposition parties for its passage. Ultimately, the President signed the Telangana Bill into law, realizing the long-held aspiration for a separate Telangana state.