Consider the sequence: Potti Sriramulu dies after a fast unto death;…

The correct answer is Option (1) → Creation of the state of Andhra Pradesh

Option (1) Creation of the state of Andhra Pradesh — Correct. Potti Sriramulu died in October 1953 after a fast unto death. The violent protests that followed led to the creation of Andhra Pradesh, and these events also led to the formation of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC).

Option (2) Reconstitution of the Congress on linguistic lines — Incorrect. The Congress reorganised its provincial units on linguistic lines in the 1920s. That came decades before the fast, so it cannot be the step between the protests and the SRC.

Option (3) Promise of new provinces based on the principle of language — Incorrect. Gandhi and other leaders promised provinces based on language before freedom came. This promise started the demand years earlier, so it cannot be the step between the protests and the SRC.

Option (4) Hesitation of the top Congress leaders over linguistic states — Incorrect. The top Congress leaders hesitated soon after Independence, when the promise was first pressed. This hesitation came before the fast and the protests, and the protests in fact overcame it.