Four years after bifurcation, the residual state of Andhra Pradesh announced its state symbols on Wednesday, 20 May.
The symbols were notified by the state government's Department of Environment, Forest, Science and Technology via a Government Order (GO).
As per the GO, the state has retained blackbuck, commonly known as Krishna Jinka, as its state animal, while officials decided on rose-ringed parakeet as the state bird. The GO issued by Principal Secretary of Environment and Forests G Anantha Ramu, also mentions that Neem has been declared as the state tree.
“The government of Andhra Pradesh felt that it was necessary to have a separate set of symbols for the state after bifurcation,” the GO stated.
After bifurcation, Andhra and Telangana also dropped water lily as their common state flower and while the former has now adopted the jasmine, the latter has gone with 'Tangidi Puvvu', which is commonly used during the Bathukamma festival.
Telangana was bifurcated from Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014, after the AP Reorganisation Act was passed in Parliament.
While the Telangana government decided its state symbols by the end of 2014 itself, Andhra has done so just ahead of the date marked as 'formation day' by Telangana.
The move assumes significance as it comes roughly one year before the state goes to polls in 2019.
While Telangana celebrates its formation day on 2 June, the day it was carved out of Andhra, the latter continues to maintain that its formation day is in October, when it was carved out of the Madras Presidency post-Independence.
In June last year, on a day when Telangana was celebrating its third formation day, Andhra Pradesh organised 'Nava Nirmana Deeksha', where people took the pledge to rebuild the state.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has described 2 June as a 'black day' in the history of Andhra Pradesh, and said that the state is yet to come to terms with the division.
While lodging the party’s protest over the manner in which the state was bifurcated, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Naidu said that people should dedicate themselves to rebuild the state.
Recalling the efforts made by his government during the last three years to put the state back on its rails, Naidu said if people work hard nothing was impossible.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)