YS Rajasekhara Reddy Biography: Wife, Net Worth, Age, Nationality, Death, Wikipedia

Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, commonly known as YSR, is an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009.

He is the leader of the Indian National Congress Party and a four-time member of the Lok Sabha from Kadapa constituency.

He was also a five-time member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Pulivendula constituency, winning every election he contested.

He is famous for his mass appeal, welfare programs and ambitious padayatra, a 1,500 km walk across the state to interact with people and understand their problems.

He died in a helicopter crash in 2009, leaving behind a legacy of popularity and admiration among the people of Andhra Pradesh.

File

  • Full name: Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy
  • Nickname: YSR
  • Date of birth: July 8, 1949
  • Age: 60 years old (at time of death)
  • male
  • Place of birth: Pulivendula, Madras State (present-day Andhra Pradesh), India
  • Indian
  • Occupation: Doctor, Politician
  • Height: 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm)
  • Parents: YS Raja Reddy (father), YS Jayamma (mother)
  • Siblings: YS Vivekananda Reddy (brother)
  • Spouse: YS Vijayalakshmi (m. 1971)
  • Children: YS Jaganmohan Reddy (son), YS Sharmila (daughter)
  • Relationship status: Married
  • Net worth: Rs. 510 crore ($71 million)

Early life and education

YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who would have been 75 in 2024, was born on July 8, 1949, in Pulivendula, a small town in Cuddapah district of Madras State (now Andhra Pradesh).

He belongs to the Reddy community, a dominant caste group in the area.

His father, YS Raja Reddy, was a wealthy landlord and a local leader of the Congress Party. His mother, YS Jayamma, was a devout Christian who converted from Hinduism. He had a younger brother, YS Vivekananda Reddy, who also became a politician.

YSR grew up in a politically active family and became interested in politics at a young age. His father, who was close to Congress stalwarts like K. Brahmananda Reddy and PV Narasimha Rao, influenced him.

He was also inspired by national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. He studied at local schools in Pulivendula and then joined Loyola College in Chennai for his intermediate studies.

He then pursued his medical degree at Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College in Gulbarga, Karnataka.

He was elected president of the students’ union of his college and was also president of the House Surgeons Association of SV Medical College in Tirupati. He completed MBBS in 1973 and became a licensed doctor.

Personal life

YSR married YS Vijayalakshmi, his maternal uncle’s daughter, in 1971. The couple has two children: a son named YS Jaganmohan Reddy and a daughter named YS Sharmila. Both of them followed in their father’s footsteps and entered politics.

Jaganmohan Reddy is the current Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the president of YSR Congress Party, a regional party he founded in 2011 after splitting from the Congress.

Sharmila Reddy is also the leader of the YSR Congress Party and recently announced her intention to form a new political party in Telangana.

YSR is a devout Christian who regularly attends church services and prays. He was also a philanthropist, who founded a 70-bed charity hospital in Pulivendula in 1973, named after his father.

He also donated land and money to many social and religious causes.

Career

YSR began his political career in 1975 when he was appointed president of the Cuddapah District Youth Congress Committee.

He first contested elections in 1978 when he won the Pulivendula assembly seat as a Congress candidate.

He held his seat for six consecutive terms, becoming one of the most popular and influential leaders in the region.

He also made his debut in national politics in 1989, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kadapa constituency. He represented the constituency for four terms until 2009.

YSR holds various ministerial posts in the state and central governments. He was Minister of Rural Development in the T. Anjaiah government from 1980 to 1983.

He was also the Cabinet Minister for Excise, Education and Health in the B. Venkataram Reddy and K. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy governments from 1982 to 1989.

He became president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) twice, in 1983 and 1998. He was also a member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party.

YSR’s political career reached its peak in 2004, when he led the Congress to a landslide victory in the state assembly elections, defeating the incumbent Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by N. Chandrababu Naidu religion.

He became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on 14 May 2004 and embarked on a series of welfare schemes and development projects that won him admiration and support from the masses.

Some of his flagship programs are Aarogyasri, a health insurance program for the poor; Indiramma, a housing program for the rural and urban poor; Jalayagnam, a major irrigation project for farmers; Rajiv Arogya Shree, a free medical treatment program for children, Pavala Vaddi, a microfinance program for women, and Tuition Reimbursement, a scholarship program for students.

He also implemented the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and the farm loan waiver program in the state.

YSR’s popularity skyrocketed after he undertook a historic march, or padayatra, across the state in 2003, covering 1,500 km in 60 days.

He interacted with thousands of people, listened to their complaints and promised to solve their problems if he came to power.

Padayatra is widely considered a turning point in his political career, as it enhanced his image as a mass leader and man of the people.

He repeated his electoral success in 2009, leading the Congress to another landslide victory in the state assembly elections. He became the first Chief Minister to hold power in Andhra Pradesh since 1983.

prize

YSR has received many awards and honors for his achievements and contributions to society. Some of them are:

  • Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from Acharya NG Ranga University of Agriculture in 2007
  • Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International in 2009
  • CNN-IBN Indian of the Year (Politics) 2009
  • NDTV India of the Year (Politics) 2009
  • Best Minister of India Today in 2009

Death

YSR died in a tragic helicopter crash on September 2, 2009, while he was on his way to Chittoor district to launch a new welfare scheme.

His helicopter, a Bell 430, went missing in the Nallamala forest area due to bad weather and poor visibility. The helicopter was later found crashed on top of Rudrakonda hill, 40 nautical miles from Kurnool.

All five people on board, including YSR, the secretary, the security chief and two pilots, died at the scene.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the Andhra Pradesh government confirmed the news of his death, leaving the state and the country shocked and saddened.

YSR’s death triggered an outpouring of emotions and condolences from people who took to the streets and airports to pay their last respects to their beloved leader.

His body was brought to Hyderabad and kept at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium for public viewing.

Thousands of people, including political leaders, celebrities and commoners, attended his funeral, held at his family estate in Idupulapaya, Kadapa district. He was buried with full state honors next to his father’s grave.

Argumentative

YSR’s political career has not been without controversy and criticism. He faces many accusations of corruption, nepotism, dictatorship and human rights violations. Some major controversies he was involved in were:

He was accused of amassing huge wealth through illegal mining, land grabbing and tax evasion. He also allegedly used his influence to support his son Jaganmohan Reddy’s business interests, especially in the media and infrastructure sectors.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have filed several cases against him and his family members for disproportionate assets, money laundering and quid pro quo transactions. have again.

He was criticized for his role in the Telangana agitation, a movement aimed at creating a separate state of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh. He was accused of being indecisive, insensitive and opportunistic, because he neither supported nor opposed the demand for statehood.

He was also blamed for the deaths of hundreds of protesters and students who committed suicide or died when police opened fire during protests.

He was condemned for his alleged involvement in the murder of his political rivals and opponents. He is suspected of having a hand in the murders of his uncle YS Raja Reddy in 1998, brother-in-law YS Vivekananda Reddy in 2019 and TDP leader Paritala Ravindra in 2005. He is also accused of orchestrating the assassinations in 2005. TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2003.

He was denounced for alleged violations of human rights and civil liberties. He was accused of using police and authorities to harass, intimidate, and arrest political opponents, journalists, activists, and civil society members. He is also accused of abusing an anti-terrorism law, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), to target Maoists and their sympathizers.

Social Media

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Net value

According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), YSR has a net worth of Rs. 510 crore or $71 million.

He is the fourth richest MLA in India and the richest in Andhra Pradesh. His assets include farmland, commercial buildings, residential properties, stocks, bonds, bank deposits, vehicles and jewelry.

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