The Indian National Congress party and the ruling coalition Tuesday announced their support for the creation of a new state of Telangana in the south to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh, dpa reported. The proposed state would comprise 10 of Andhra Pradesh's districts, populated by a majority of Telugu-speaking people, and the city of Hyderabad, a major information technology hub, broadcaster NDTV reported. Hyderabad would continue for five years as capital of both states until a new capital was set up for Andhra Pradesh. The proposal for the new state is expected to come up for approval before the federal cabinet Thursday, after which a bill would have to be introduced in and passed by parliament and the Andhra Pradesh state assembly. Experts say the process may take up to a year. Telangana would become India's 29th state.
