Hyderabad, Dec 10 (IANS) Politicians from Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema region Thursday demanded separate statehood for the backward region, saying they would agree to division of the state to create Telangana only if their demand for Greater Rayalaseema is acceded to.
Cutting across party lines, the leaders, including legislators from the ruling Congress, opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Praja Rajyam, made it clear that Andhra Pradesh could be divided only if their region was also made a separate state.

This would mean that the present state has to be divided into three states - Telangana, Greater Rayalaseema and Andhra.

“Andhra Pradesh should not be divided but if you are dividing it then form Greater Rayalaseema alongside Telangana and make coastal Andhra a separate state,” said T.G. Venkatesh, Congress legislator and convenor, Forum for the Rights of Rayalaseema.

Venkatesh, who has been raising the demand for the development of Rayalaseema region, said they would not agree to the formation of a separate Telangana state.

The people of Rayalaseema, comprising four districts, complain of backwardness and neglect by successive state governments.

Several legislators from the region Thursday submitted their resignations to protest the central government’s decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.

The people of the region are not ready to merge with Andhra in the event of formation of Telangana state.

“We have always made sacrifices. The capital was shifted from Kurnool to Hyderabad and now they want to make far-off Vijayawada or Guntur as the capital. This is not acceptable to us,” said another Congress legislator Pratap Reddy.

Kurnool, a part of Rayalaseema, was capital of Andhra State till 1956 when Andhra State was merged with Telangana to form Andhra Pradesh.

Venkatesh and other leaders have called for a shutdown in Rayalaseema on Friday to press for the demand for separate statehood.