Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Encyclopedia
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (8 July 1949 – 2 September 2009), popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister
of the India
n state of Andhra Pradesh
. He is seen as the most popular chief minister of Andhra pradesh. His popularity is often attributed to various welfare schemes and development programs he championed for the people of his state. In the words of Yahoo 'YSR was a mass leader who ruled the hearts of people in Andhra Pradesh'. The BBC
called him a champion of social welfare schemes.
He was elected to the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Lok Sabha
from the Kadapa
constituency for four terms and to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly for five terms from the Pulivendula constituency. His candidature won every election he contested. In 2003 he undertook a three-month-long paadayaatra, or walking tour of 1475 km during the very hot summer months, across several districts in Andhra Pradesh as a part of his election campaign. He led his party to victory in the following general and assembly elections held in 2004. He repeated the feat in 2009. He is the only chief minister of AP to have come back to power after being in office for a full term.
On 2 September 2009, a helicopter carrying Reddy went missing in the Nallamala forest area. On the morning of 3 September 2009, media reported that the helicopter wreckage had been found on top of Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) from Kurnool
. This was later confirmed by the Prime Minister's office
. Five people aboard this ill fated helicopter were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Rumors and conspiracy theories about a highly influential Indian business tycoon's involvement in his untimely death exist.
is also a Congress(I) politician.
Reddy's parents were devout Christians as was he; and he was buried according to Christian rites. Reddy visited Bethlehem
and other historically important Christian places in Israel twice. He visited Tirupati
regularly.
After completing MBBS, he served as Medical Officer at the Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital for a brief period. In 1973, he established a 70-bed charitable hospital, named after his father late YS Raja Reddy at Pulivendula.His family also built and ran a degree college and a Polytechnic college
in Pulivendula
. These educational institutes were later handed over to the Loyola Group of Educational Institutions. A junior college in Simhadripuram
, near Pulivendula
, is run by his family.. Reddy is the only congress chief minister to complete his entire tenure (2004–2009)without any interruption.
-To irrigate 1,00,00,000 acres of land through construction of major, medium and minor irrigation projects. The program helped Andhra Pradesh make significant progress in areas of Sustainable Agriculture by making wastelands cultivable.
(TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi
(TRS) and the communist parties. The TDP promised numerous inducements including free color televisions and the unique cash transfer scheme (CTS). There was also a new party Praja Rajyam Party
(PRP) floated by a popular film star Chiranjeevi
. Congress under the leadership of Reddy won the contest and came to power for a second time, winning 156 seats in the assembly while requiring 148 for a simple majority. Reddy's party also won 33 seats in parliament out of a total of 42 seats. This feat was seen as a very big victory for Reddy since he was able to come back to power for the second consecutive term against the odds of anti-incumbency. He became the Congress party’s first incumbent chief minister since 1969 to win based on his performance.
Reddy was sworn in as the chief minister for the term of 2009–2014 on 20 May 2009. The ceremony was held in Hyderabad's Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium
and was attended by a crowd of around 20,000 people.
's resignation after a 2007 Khammam
police shooting resulted in eight deaths.
helicopter
went missing on Wednesday, 2 September 2009 at 9:35 am. Begumpet
and Shamshabad
Air Traffic controllers
lost contact with the aircraft at 10:02 am while it was passing through the dense Nallamala forest area. The Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, P. Ramakanth Reddy, said that inclement weather had forced the helicopter off-course. Although the sparsely populated forest area is considered to be stronghold of the outlawed Naxal communist insurgents, the National Security Advisor of India ruled out the possibility of the Naxals bringing down the helicopter.
The Indian Prime Minister's Office confirmed the helicopter's crash on the morning of 3 September and the death of all aboard, including Reddy, his special secretary P. Subrahmanyam, chief security officer A. S. C. Wesley, Group Captain S. K. Bhatia and Captain M. S. Reddy . The Director General of Police said that the bodies of Reddy and others were charred beyond recognition and had to be identified on the basis of clothing. The autopsy of all the bodies was carried out at Kurnool Medical College.
An investigation eventually concluded that the factors that caused that crash included the fact that the crew became fixated for more than six minutes about a problem with their transmission oil pressure system, and were distracted from the worsening weather. It was also noted that the pilots of the helicopter never discussed the bad weather, diverting, or returning to base.
Reddy's body was buried on 4 September at Idupulapai in Kadapa
district with full state honors in accordance with Christian rites.
Finance Minister Konijeti Rosaiah
was sworn in as Chief Minister following his death.
Six months after his death, his son began a condolence tour (Odarpu Yatra) to go and meet the families of those who either allegedly committed suicide or died of shock after hearing the death of his father. The Congress party's central leadership directed Jagan (Reddy's son) to call off his Odarpu Yatra which he defied. His "Odarpu Yatra" was a big success and established Jagan as a major political force in AP politics. On November 29, 2010, Jagan resigned from the Congress
Party. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on 7 December 2010 from Pulivendula that he would be starting a new party within 45 days. On February 16 YSR Congress Party came into existence with Jagan as its president.
The by-election
s for the seats left vacant due to the resignations of Y. S. Vijayamma (Reddy's wife) and Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy (Reddy's son) were held on May 8, 2011. The son and mother duo contested the elections on behalf of the newly formed YSR Congress Party.
Jagan Mohan Reddy bettered the 4.2 lakh vote margin registered by his father . He secured 6.9 lakh votes, more than 65 per cent of the total votes polled, with a majority of 5.45 lakh votes (545,043 votes) over his nearest rival, Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy, who secured 1.46 lakh votes. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) nominee M.V. Mysoora Reddy came third with 1.29 lakh votes. Both his rivals and 39 independents forfeited their deposits. In Pulivendula, Vijayamma secured a record 81,373 votes margin, surpassing her husband's 68,681 vote margin in the 2009 elections. She humbled her nearest Congress rival and brother-in-law Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, who got a little more than 28,000 votes. TDP candidate M. Ravindranath Reddy, with 12,000 votes, remained a distant third. The nominees of these parties and 22 independents could not retain their deposits.
The victory is seen as a personal triumph for the 37-year-old leader, who termed the election “a battle between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and self-respect of the people of Kadapa.”
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. He is seen as the most popular chief minister of Andhra pradesh. His popularity is often attributed to various welfare schemes and development programs he championed for the people of his state. In the words of Yahoo 'YSR was a mass leader who ruled the hearts of people in Andhra Pradesh'. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
called him a champion of social welfare schemes.
He was elected to the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from the Kadapa
Kadapa
Kadapa , formerly Cuddapah, is a city in the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh, India . The city's name originated from the Telugu word "Gadapa" meaning threshold or gate...
constituency for four terms and to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly for five terms from the Pulivendula constituency. His candidature won every election he contested. In 2003 he undertook a three-month-long paadayaatra, or walking tour of 1475 km during the very hot summer months, across several districts in Andhra Pradesh as a part of his election campaign. He led his party to victory in the following general and assembly elections held in 2004. He repeated the feat in 2009. He is the only chief minister of AP to have come back to power after being in office for a full term.
On 2 September 2009, a helicopter carrying Reddy went missing in the Nallamala forest area. On the morning of 3 September 2009, media reported that the helicopter wreckage had been found on top of Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) from Kurnool
Kurnool
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
. This was later confirmed by the Prime Minister's office
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
. Five people aboard this ill fated helicopter were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Rumors and conspiracy theories about a highly influential Indian business tycoon's involvement in his untimely death exist.
Personal life and religious beliefs
Reddy was married to Vijaya Lakshmi. They have a son, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and a daughter, Sharmila. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a former INC politician. He currently runs his own political party named Y.S.R. Congress (Yuvajana Sramika Raithu). Reddy recently contested and won the Kadapa Lok Sabha by-election with a record 5 lakh plus majority. YSR's younger brother Y. S. Vivekananda ReddyY. S. Vivekananda Reddy
Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Cuddapah constituency of Andhra Pradesh...
is also a Congress(I) politician.
Reddy's parents were devout Christians as was he; and he was buried according to Christian rites. Reddy visited Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
and other historically important Christian places in Israel twice. He visited Tirupati
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
regularly.
Career
Son of late Sri YS Raja Reddy, a dynamic leader in his heyday, Rajasekhara Reddy evinced interest in politics right from his student days. While studying in MR Medical College, Gulbarga, Karnataka, he served as president of the Students union. He was elected leader of the House Surgeon's Association in SV Medical College, Tirupati.After completing MBBS, he served as Medical Officer at the Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital for a brief period. In 1973, he established a 70-bed charitable hospital, named after his father late YS Raja Reddy at Pulivendula.His family also built and ran a degree college and a Polytechnic college
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
in Pulivendula
Pulivendula
Pulivendula, also known as Pulivendla is a town, a mandal and a Municipality in YSR district, Andhra Pradesh, India.-Geography:Pulivendla is located at . It has an average elevation of 272 meters .-Major features:...
. These educational institutes were later handed over to the Loyola Group of Educational Institutions. A junior college in Simhadripuram
Simhadripuram
Simhadripuram is a village and a mandal in Kadapa district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. -Geography:Simhadripuram is located at . It has an average elevation of 228 meters...
, near Pulivendula
Pulivendula
Pulivendula, also known as Pulivendla is a town, a mandal and a Municipality in YSR district, Andhra Pradesh, India.-Geography:Pulivendla is located at . It has an average elevation of 272 meters .-Major features:...
, is run by his family.. Reddy is the only congress chief minister to complete his entire tenure (2004–2009)without any interruption.
Positions held
- Minister of state for rural development (1980–82)
- Excise minister (1982)
- Education minister (1982–83)
- Leader of Opposition, Andhra Pradesh State Assembly (1999–2004)
- Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (2004–2009)
- Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (20-May-2009 To 02-Sep-2009)
As Chief Minister
During his tenure as CM,the government of Andhra Pradesh under took the following projects :- Providing free electricity as promised for farmers was initiated on the very first day of his tenure as CM in 2004.
- Rajiv Arogya Shree – A health insuranceHealth insuranceHealth insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
program for rural population below poverty line (white card holders). This insurance program pays the entire cost of any necessary surgery to a maximum of Rs.200,000 - Emergency service- Free public ambulance service. This service was originally started by Satyam and later adopted by government of A.P
- Pavala Vaddi — a program that provides loans at 3% per anum interest rate, designed to encourage small scale businesses and entrepreneurship primarily targeted at rural women.
- Indiramma illu — a program for construction of heavily subsidized housing for the rural poor.
- Rs 2/KG of rice scheme
- Increase in the minimum support price for rice.
- Reimbursement of full college fees for backward sections. Reservations for minorities.
- The main emphasis during his tenure was on social welfare with a majority of his projects targeted at reducing rural poverty. Apart from these schemes, his government stood as the role model in implementing the central governments flagship program – the NREGA. The BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has called him a champion of social welfare schemes. - His tenure also saw significant weakening of the violent extremist left-wing NaxaliteNaxaliteThe word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
movement that was rampant in the state when he assumed office in 2004.
- During his era Andhra Pradesh achieved a growth rate of more than 6% every year. Poverty levels reduced to 16% in Andhra Pradesh while the national average was 23%.
Other projects
Jala YagnamJala Yagnam
Jalayagnam or Jala Yagnam, , is a water management program in India. It has been implemented by Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, India, Dr. Y. S...
-To irrigate 1,00,00,000 acres of land through construction of major, medium and minor irrigation projects. The program helped Andhra Pradesh make significant progress in areas of Sustainable Agriculture by making wastelands cultivable.
Election 2009
Reddy's major campaign slogan for the 2009 election was "Development and Credibility". He sought a mandate based on his past performance. He made no new election promises but vowed to continue and extend various ongoing schemes. The opposition parties had formed a 'Grand alliance' (mahakootami) comprising all the major opposition parties including, Telugu Desam PartyTelugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T...
(TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi
Telangana Rashtra Samithi
Telangana Rashtra Samithi is a regional separatist political party in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.-Ideology:Telangana Rashtra Samithi's main aim is to separate Telangana region from Andhra Pradesh and to regain regional autonomy as it existed before the formation of Andhra Pradesh...
(TRS) and the communist parties. The TDP promised numerous inducements including free color televisions and the unique cash transfer scheme (CTS). There was also a new party Praja Rajyam Party
Praja Rajyam Party
Praja Rajyam was a regional political party in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, founded by Telugu cinema actor Chiranjeevi on August 26, 2008.On 2011, 6 February it was officially announced that the party would be merging into Indian National Congress...
(PRP) floated by a popular film star Chiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi is a Telugu film actor and a politician. He has appeared primarily in Telugu Cinema along with a few Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Punadhirallu . However, Pranam Khareedu released at the box office earlier...
. Congress under the leadership of Reddy won the contest and came to power for a second time, winning 156 seats in the assembly while requiring 148 for a simple majority. Reddy's party also won 33 seats in parliament out of a total of 42 seats. This feat was seen as a very big victory for Reddy since he was able to come back to power for the second consecutive term against the odds of anti-incumbency. He became the Congress party’s first incumbent chief minister since 1969 to win based on his performance.
Reddy was sworn in as the chief minister for the term of 2009–2014 on 20 May 2009. The ceremony was held in Hyderabad's Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium
The Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium is a cricket stadium in Hyderabad, India. The stadium was originally known as Fateh Maidan and was re-named in 1967 after Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's former Prime Minister....
and was attended by a crowd of around 20,000 people.
Controversies
The surrender of more than 1600 acres (6.5 km²) of personal land by Reddy to the government to be compliant with the law in December 2006 was criticized by the opposition parties. The opposition parties demanded his resignation for owning the land in violation of the law. Naidu also called for ReddyReddy
Reddy is a social group or caste of India, predominantly inhabiting Andhra Pradesh. They are enlisted as a forward caste by the government. Traditionally, they are a high-caste community of nobility, warriors and cultivators. According to academics, they were a warrior caste in the remote past and...
's resignation after a 2007 Khammam
Khammam
Khammam , is the headquarters of the Khammam District in Andhra Pradesh state of India and is located about east of state capital, Hyderabad...
police shooting resulted in eight deaths.
Death
Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's Bell 430Bell 430
-External links:*...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
went missing on Wednesday, 2 September 2009 at 9:35 am. Begumpet
Begumpet
Begumpet is a neighborhood in Hyderabad, India.-History:Begumpet is named after the daughter of the second Nizam, Basheer Ul-Unnisaa Begum , who received it as part of her wedding dowry was married to the second Amir of Paigah The Shums ul Umra Amir e Kabir 1...
and Shamshabad
Shamshabad
Shamshabad is a suburban village and a mandal headquarters, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India.There is a railway station at Shamshabad which is part of the South Central Railway, Indian Railways.-Geography:Shamsabad is located at...
Air Traffic controllers
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
lost contact with the aircraft at 10:02 am while it was passing through the dense Nallamala forest area. The Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, P. Ramakanth Reddy, said that inclement weather had forced the helicopter off-course. Although the sparsely populated forest area is considered to be stronghold of the outlawed Naxal communist insurgents, the National Security Advisor of India ruled out the possibility of the Naxals bringing down the helicopter.
The Indian Prime Minister's Office confirmed the helicopter's crash on the morning of 3 September and the death of all aboard, including Reddy, his special secretary P. Subrahmanyam, chief security officer A. S. C. Wesley, Group Captain S. K. Bhatia and Captain M. S. Reddy . The Director General of Police said that the bodies of Reddy and others were charred beyond recognition and had to be identified on the basis of clothing. The autopsy of all the bodies was carried out at Kurnool Medical College.
An investigation eventually concluded that the factors that caused that crash included the fact that the crew became fixated for more than six minutes about a problem with their transmission oil pressure system, and were distracted from the worsening weather. It was also noted that the pilots of the helicopter never discussed the bad weather, diverting, or returning to base.
Reddy's body was buried on 4 September at Idupulapai in Kadapa
Kadapa
Kadapa , formerly Cuddapah, is a city in the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh, India . The city's name originated from the Telugu word "Gadapa" meaning threshold or gate...
district with full state honors in accordance with Christian rites.
Aftermath
It was reported that as many as 122 people died of shock or even committed suicide upon hearing the news of his death.Finance Minister Konijeti Rosaiah
Konijeti Rosaiah
Konijeti Rosaiah is the current Governor of Tamil Nadu and a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He was previously an MLC, MLA & MP of the Indian National Congress numerous times and has handled many ministerial posts over his long political career spanning over half a century...
was sworn in as Chief Minister following his death.
Six months after his death, his son began a condolence tour (Odarpu Yatra) to go and meet the families of those who either allegedly committed suicide or died of shock after hearing the death of his father. The Congress party's central leadership directed Jagan (Reddy's son) to call off his Odarpu Yatra which he defied. His "Odarpu Yatra" was a big success and established Jagan as a major political force in AP politics. On November 29, 2010, Jagan resigned from the Congress
Party. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on 7 December 2010 from Pulivendula that he would be starting a new party within 45 days. On February 16 YSR Congress Party came into existence with Jagan as its president.
The by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s for the seats left vacant due to the resignations of Y. S. Vijayamma (Reddy's wife) and Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy (Reddy's son) were held on May 8, 2011. The son and mother duo contested the elections on behalf of the newly formed YSR Congress Party.
Jagan Mohan Reddy bettered the 4.2 lakh vote margin registered by his father . He secured 6.9 lakh votes, more than 65 per cent of the total votes polled, with a majority of 5.45 lakh votes (545,043 votes) over his nearest rival, Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy, who secured 1.46 lakh votes. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) nominee M.V. Mysoora Reddy came third with 1.29 lakh votes. Both his rivals and 39 independents forfeited their deposits. In Pulivendula, Vijayamma secured a record 81,373 votes margin, surpassing her husband's 68,681 vote margin in the 2009 elections. She humbled her nearest Congress rival and brother-in-law Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, who got a little more than 28,000 votes. TDP candidate M. Ravindranath Reddy, with 12,000 votes, remained a distant third. The nominees of these parties and 22 independents could not retain their deposits.
The victory is seen as a personal triumph for the 37-year-old leader, who termed the election “a battle between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and self-respect of the people of Kadapa.”