Hyderabad: The Telangana issue dominated headlines in 2013 in Andhra Pradesh, which stands on the threshold of being bifurcated.
Terror returned to Hyderabad in February when blasts killed 17 people and injured over 100 people in Dilsukhnagar. Three cyclones lashed the state in quick succession, killing several people and damaging lakhs of acres of crops.
But the year was all about Telangana and politics related to it. The draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013 was sent to the state legislature by President Pranab Mukherjee who gave time till January 23 to return the bill.
The process of division of Andhra Pradesh was set in motion with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) endorsing statehood for Telangana towards the end of July.
The CWC's decision met with instantaneous joy in Telangana, but triggered a wave of protests in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema (together known as Seemandhra) regions.
Lakhs of Seemandhra employees of Andhra Pradesh government began an indefinite strike from the midnight of August 12 which continued for over two months. The strike by the electricity employees threatened to have national consequences had it continued.
The two month-long agitation paralysed normal life in Seemandhra with public transport buses, government offices, banks, ATMs and even medical services remaining shut.
The CWC's decision had its political fallout with several MPs and state ministers hailing from the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions offering to quit their posts, though these were rejected.
More than two months after CWC endorsing the Telangana statehood demand, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal.
Accordingly Telangana, India's 29th state, would cover 10 of the 23 districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh. The city of Hyderabad would serve as the joint capital of the two successor states for a period of 10 years.
A string of resignations from the Union Council of Ministers followed, with HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju, Textiles Minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Minister of State for Tourism K Chiranjeevi, and Minister of State for Railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy putting in their papers.
They were, however, persuaded to continue in their posts. The Congress' decision to create Telangana was opposed none other than by its own Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy who vowed to stall the division of Andhra Pradesh.
As he became more vocal in opposing the high command's decision, he emerged as a rallying point for Seemandhra Congress leaders and a hero in public image in the regions.
The Union Cabinet, however, cleared the draft Bill with 10 districts in early December and the demands of Seemandhra Union ministers like Chiranjeevi for making Hyderabad a Union Territory were ignored.
The approval of draft bill also led to an unprecedented development in Parliament with a group of ruling Congress members moving a no-confidence motion against their own government.
Though the UPA government appears to be moving ahead with break-neck speed on the process of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, doubts still persist whether the Telangana bill will be passed before the 2014 general elections.
According to experts, Parliament can go ahead with its legislative process for creation of new Telangana state whatever the legislative assembly does. Apart from Telangana, sportspersons from Andhra Pradesh did remarkably well during 2013 with rising shuttler P V Sindhu winning the Macau Open besides a good show in other international tournaments.
Sindhu's success made up for the poor form of star shuttler Saina Nehwal who fell in world rankings. Star tennis player Sania Mirza broke into top 10 in doubles following creditable performances in prestigious international tournaments.
