In less than a fortnight, Andhra Pradesh has descended from being a relatively peaceful and investment-friendly state to one that is hobbled by a serious law and order situation. First, Telangana came to a halt for 10 days as TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao went on an 11-day fast-unto-death. Now, after the Centre?s decision to initiate the process of creating a separate Telangana state on the night of December 9, the coastal districts and the Rayalaseema region are astir.

With no consensus, and with so many hurdles, Telangana appears to be easier said than done. Over the weekend the crisis became even more complicated and battle lines became even more sharply drawn.

Ministers hailing from the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions have upped the ante, threatening to resign if the Centre does not roll back the decision on Telangana. This is countered by ministers from Telangana threatening to resign if the Centre goes back on its decision.

The state?s political parties which wooed Telangana voters in the 2004 and 2009 elections with promises and assurances of a separate state have executed a volte face. The Congress is itself deeply divided over the issue, with 82 of its MLAs resigning in protest though their resignations have not been accepted yet. Another 50 MLAs of the TDP and PRP have also resigned in protest. Though it is not mandatory, the Centre is insisting that a resolution be passed with a majority in the Assembly on Telangana. With so many MLAs resigning, and without the support of other political parties, that is impossible at present.

The issue has deeply polarised the people of the state which manifested itself at the high Court last week when senior advocates hailing from Telangana came to blows with those hailing from the coastal districts and Rayalaseema, and ended up throwing footwear at each other outside the chamber of the Chief Justice.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti which has been spearheading the separate state movement since 2001 says it will wait for some time before restarting the agitation. TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao has warned the Centre not to test the patience of Telangana people.

On the other hand, with spontaneous and violent protests erupting all over the coastal districts and Rayalaseema against the bifurcation, the backlash has been as intense and aggressive as the Telangana students? agitation a few days ago. The demand to keep Andhra unified is as fierce as the agitation to divide it. Not only MLAs, mayors, deputy mayors, municipal councilors, panchayat and mandal parishad members have also resigned en masse in protest.

A tug of war has started over the capital, Hyderabad. While Telangana votaries say Hyderabad is an integral part of Telangana and scoff at the mere suggestion of it being merged with Andhra, Andhra-ites claim that since they developed the city they have the right over it. Tempers run high over the city which is an IT hub with several multinational companies having their Asia headquarters here. ?This is nonsense. How can Andhra claim Hyderabad which has been the capital of Telangana for decades??? asks an incensed KCR.

Though KCR assures ?settlers? from other regions that they have nothing to worry, the postures being taken by the TRS and KCR himself do not inspire confidence. Just before he undertook his fast, KCR warned that private educational institutes in Telangana owned by Andhraites would be banned. TRS workers have not minced words in claiming that all Andhra settlers would be driven away. ?Hyderabad is ours, you can go where you want,? is the oft-heard remark.

It is a general grievance in Telangana that settlers from Andhra have exploited the region to become rich and prosperous and that they should reclaim what is rightfully theirs. This has created a fear psychosis and not only politicians, but even businessmen, investors and real estate developers who have invested millions in Hyderabad, are pressing for the capital city to be either merged with Andhra or declared a Union territory. With both sides hardening their positions, it will take a long time to resolve the Hyderabad issue only after which Telangana can be created.

Finally, after his ministers threatened to quit, chief minister K Rosaiah has to ensure that his government stays for some more time, to evolve a consensus within the Congress as well as other parties, if Telangana is to become a reality.