1956: Andhra Pradesh, the country's first linguistic state, formed after merging Telangana, which was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, with the Andhra state

1969: The first bout of agitation for separate Telangana state breaks out

1972: A rival agitation erupts in coastal Andhra

1972: Following intervention by the Central Government, a political settlement reached; safeguards put in place for Telangana region

1997: The BJP becomes the first party to promise separate Telangana state in its election manifesto

2001: Revival of the statehood movement with the launch of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by K Chandrasekhar Rao

2001: The Congress Working Committee passes a resolution favouring constitution of States Re-organisation Commission to look into demands for smaller states, including Telangana

2009: TRS chief undertakes an indefinite fast demanding separate Telangana; the UPA government announces start of the process for formation of state; backtracks later following en mass resignations in the other two regions

2010: Justice BN Srikrishna Commission constituted; recommends creation of an autonomous regional development council for Telangana while keeping the state united

2012: Series of all-party meetings held to find a solution

2013: UPA puts the issue on fast track and finally endorses the plan to bifurcate the state