YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is a prominent Indian politician, currently serving as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, a state in Southern India.
He is also the founder and president of the YSR Congress Party, a regional political party that advocates for the welfare and development of the people of Andhra Pradesh.
He is widely regarded as a dynamic and visionary leader who initiated many welfare programmes and development projects in his state.
He is also known for his popularity among the masses, especially in rural and backward areas of society.
File
- Full Name: Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy
- Date of birth: December 21, 1972
- Age: 52 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of Birth: Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Nationality: Indian
- Occupation: Politician
- Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
- Parents: YS Rajasekhara Reddy (father) and YS Vijayamma (mother)
- Siblings: YS Sharmila (elder sister)
- Spouse: YS Bharathi (married 1996)
- Children: Harsha Reddy (daughter) and Varsha Reddy (daughter)
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: ₹510 crore (US$71 million)
Early life and education
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, now 52, was born on 21 December 1972 in Pulivendula, a town in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.
He belongs to the Reddy community, a dominant caste group in the state. His father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was a prominent politician and four-time Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
His mother, YS Vijayamma, is also a politician and president of the YSR Congress Party. He has a younger sister, YS Sharmila, who is also a politician and leader of the Telangana YSR Party.
Jagan Mohan Reddy attended primary school at Hyderabad Public School, a prestigious school in the capital city of Hyderabad.
He then completed his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nizam’s College, a prestigious college affiliated to Osmania University in Hyderabad.
He was interested in business and politics from an early age and was influenced by his father’s political career.
Personal life
Jagan Mohan Reddy married YS Bharathi, the daughter of a doctor in Hyderabad, in 1996.
They have two daughters, Harsha Reddy and Varsha Reddy, who are studying abroad. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a devout Christian and follows Protestantism. He is also a vegetarian and abstains from alcohol.
Career
Jagan Mohan Reddy started his political career in 2004 when he campaigned for his father, who was the Chief Minister of the Government of Andhra Pradesh and leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) in the state.
He also manages his father’s businesses, which include a telecommunications company, a cement company, an electricity company and a mining company.
He became a member of the INC in 2007 and was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Kadapa constituency in 2009.
However, after his father died in a helicopter crash in 2009, he fell out with INC’s leadership over succession.
He accused the INC of neglecting the interests of Andhra Pradesh and trying to destroy his father’s legacy.
He also claimed that he had the support of a majority of INC legislators in the state. He resigned from the INC and the Assembly in 2010 and formed his own party, the YSR Congress Party, in 2011.
He named his party after his father’s initials and adopted his father’s image and ideology as the party’s symbol and slogan.
He contested the by-election in Kadapa constituency in 2011 and won with a record margin of over five hundred thousand votes.
He also led his party to win 15 of the 18 legislative council seats and one of the one parliamentary seats in the 2012 by-elections.
He emerged as a strong opposition leader and challenged the ruling INC government on many issues like corruption, farmers’ welfare, bifurcation of the state and special status to Andhra Pradesh.
However, he also faced numerous legal troubles and allegations of corruption, money laundering and disproportionate assets.
He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2012 and detained for 16 months. He was released on bail in 2013 and continued his political activities.
He continued to campaign for his party and the cause of Andhra Pradesh. He also undertook a massive padayatra (foot march) across the state, covering over 3,600 km and interacting with millions of people, from November 2017 to January 2019.
He led his party to a historic victory in the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, winning 151 of the 175 seats and 22 of the 25 parliamentary seats.
He became the Chief Minister of the Government of Andhra Pradesh on 30 May 2019. He also became the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh after the state was bifurcated in 2014.
Since then, he has launched several welfare schemes and development projects in his state, such as Rythu Bharosa (farmer support), Amma Vodi (mother empowerment), YSR Aarogyasri (health care), YSR Cheyutha (women empowerment), YSR Asara (women’s self-help groups), YSR Jalakala (free borewells), YSR Bima (insurance) and YSR Housing (free housing).
He also focused on improving his state’s infrastructure, education, industry, agriculture and tourism.
He also campaigned for special status for Andhra Pradesh and fulfilled the promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Prize
Jagan Mohan Reddy has received several awards and recognitions for his political and social work. Some of them are:
- India Today Best Government Minister Award 2020
- Skoch Government Minister of the Year Award 2020
- Business Today’s Best Government Minister Award 2020
- Outlook Speakout Award for Best Admin of 2020
- NDTV Indian of the Year Award for Regional Leadership 2019
- Sakshi Excellence Award for Young Achievers in Politics 2012
Argumentative
Jagan Mohan Reddy has been involved in several controversies and conflicts during his political career. Some of them are:
The CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department have charged him with corruption, money laundering and disproportionate assets. He is also named as an accused in several chargesheets and cases filed by these agencies.
He has denied the allegations and claimed they are politically motivated and part of a plot to smear him and his party.
He was criticised for his decision to change the capital of Andhra Pradesh from Amaravati to three cities, namely Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Amaravati. He argued that this would ensure balanced development and decentralisation of power in the state.
However, his opponents say this will waste public money, harm the environment and hurt the sentiments of farmers who donated land for the construction of Amaravati.
He was opposed by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the main opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, led by former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He accused the TDP of corruption, mismanagement and anti-people policies during its tenure from 2014 to 2019.
He also alleged that the TDP colluded with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party at the centre, to deny special status and money to Andhra Pradesh.
He also conducted several investigations and actions against TDP leaders and supporters for their alleged involvement in various scams and crimes.
He also faced criticism from the BJP, the central ruling party, for his religious and political views.
He has been accused of promoting conversion to Christianity, appeasing minorities and violating the secular principles of the Constitution. He has also been accused of being anti-national and anti-Hindu for his opposition.
He also faced criticism from the BJP, the ruling party at the centre, for his religious and political views. He was accused of promoting conversion to Christianity, appeasing minorities and violating the secular principles of the Constitution.
He was also accused of being anti-national and anti-Hindu for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and farm laws. He has defended his stance, saying that he respects all religions and abides by the Indian Constitution.
He was also involved in a legal dispute with the neighbouring state of Telangana over the sharing of river waters, particularly the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
He claimed that Telangana had violated existing agreements and had deprived Andhra Pradesh of its rightful share of water.
He also accused Telangana of building illegal projects and diverting water for its own use. He sought intervention from the central government and judiciary to resolve the issue amicably.
Social media
- Twitter Username: @ysjagan
- Instagram Name: @ysjagan
- YouTube: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Official
Net worth
According to an affidavit filed in 2019, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s net worth is 510 crore rupees (US$71 million), including movable and immovable assets, shares in various companies and liabilities.
He was the second richest minister in India at that time. However, he also claimed that he had no income from any profession or business, mainly from farming and rent.
