Another region that did not initially join the union was Hyderabad. The Nizam, a muslim ruler had a large Hindu population but still he was thinking of staying independent. A year was given to the Nizam to make a decision by the Indian Administration. By 1948, there was no decision and the Indian troops rolled into Hyderabad and the Nizam signed the dotted line.
This series is part of “15 days of Independence”:https://varnam.org/archives/cat_indian_independence.html
Did the Nizam have the option to not sign on the line and keep his country independent?
He was right smack in the middle of the Indian union, Eric – there was no plausible way he could have stayed independent of the country that surrounded him in all sides.