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-term member of the Lok Sabha from the Kadapa constituency.
He was also a five-time member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Pulivendula constituency, winning every election he contested.
He was known for his mass appeal, welfare programmes 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)
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Pulivendula, Madras state (now Andhra Pradesh), India
- Nationality: 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 (d. 1971)
- Children: YS Jaganmohan Reddy (son), YS Sharmila (daughter)
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: 510 crore ($71 million)
Early life and education
YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who will turn 75 in 2024, was born on 8 July 1949 in Pulivendula, a small town in Cuddapah district of Madras (now Andhra Pradesh).
He belongs to the Reddy community, a dominant caste group in the area.
His father, YS Raja Reddy, was a wealthy landowner and a local Congress party leader. 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 developed an interest in politics from an early age. His father, who was close to Congress supporters like K. Brahmananda Reddy and P. V. 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 later joined Loyola College in Chennai for his secondary education.
He then studied medicine at Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College in Gulbarga, Karnataka.
He was elected as the president of the college’s student union and also the president of the Resident Surgeons Association of SV Medical College, Tirupati. He completed his MBBS in 1973 and became a licensed physician.
Personal life
YSR married YS Vijayalakshmi, his uncle’s daughter, in 1971. The couple had two children: a son named YS Jaganmohan Reddy and a daughter named YS Sharmila. Both followed in their father’s footsteps and entered politics.
Jaganmohan Reddy is currently the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the president of the YSR Congress Party, a regional party he founded in 2011 after splitting from the Congress Party.
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 was a devout Christian who regularly attended church services and prayed. He was also a philanthropist who established a 70-bed charity hospital in Pulivendula in 1973, named after his father.
He also donated land and money to various social and religious causes.
Career
YSR started his political career in 1975 when he was appointed as the president of the Cuddapah District Youth Congress Committee.
He first contested elections in 1978 when he won the Pulivendula seat as a National Assembly candidate.
He held the seat for six consecutive terms, becoming one of the most beloved and influential leaders in the region.
He also made his national political debut in 1989, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kadapa constituency. He represented this constituency for four terms until 2009.
YSR has held many ministerial positions in the state and central governments. He was the 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 government of B. Venkataram Reddy and K. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy 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 party’s highest decision-making body.
YSR’s political career reached its peak in 2004, when he led the Congress party to a landslide victory in the state assembly elections, defeating the incumbent Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by N. Chandrababu Naidu.
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 public admiration and support.
Some of his key programmes are Aarogyasri, a health insurance scheme for the poor; Indiramma, a housing scheme for the rural and urban poor; Jalayagnam, a major irrigation project for farmers; Rajiv Arogya Shree, a free medical treatment scheme for children, Pavala Vaddi, a microfinance scheme for women and Tuition Reimbursement, a scholarship scheme for students.
He also implemented the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and the farm loan waiver scheme in the state.
YSR’s popularity skyrocketed after he undertook the historic padayatra or foot march across the state in 2003, covering a distance of 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.
The Padayatra is widely considered to be the turning point in his political career, as it enhanced his image as a mass leader and a man of the people.
He repeated his success in the 2009 elections, leading the Congress Party to another landslide victory in the state assembly elections. He became the first Chief Minister to retain power in Andhra Pradesh since 1983.
Prize
YSR has received several awards and honors for his achievements and contributions to society. Some of them are:
- Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University in 2007
- Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International 2009
- CNN-IBN Indian of the Year (Politics) 2009
- NDTV Indian of the Year (Politics) 2009
- Best Government Minister of India Today 2009
Death
YSR died in a tragic helicopter crash on 2 September 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 the Rudrakonda hilltop, 40 nautical miles from Kurnool.
All five people on board, including YSR, his secretary, the security chief and the two pilots, were declared dead at the scene.
The Chief Minister’s Office and the Andhra Pradesh government confirmed the news of his death, leaving the entire state and country shocked and saddened.
YSR’s death has triggered an outpouring of emotions and condolences from people who poured onto the streets and airports to pay their last respects to their beloved leader.
His body was brought to Hyderabad and kept at the 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 honours next to his father’s grave.
Argumentative
YSR’s political career has not been without controversy and criticism. He has faced several allegations of corruption, nepotism, nepotism and human rights violations. Some of the major controversies he has been involved in are:
He is accused of amassing a huge fortune through illegal mining, land grabbing and tax evasion. He is also accused of using his influence to favour the business interests of his son Jaganmohan Reddy, particularly 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 possession of disproportionate assets, money laundering and racketeering.
He was criticised for his role in the Telangana movement, a movement aimed at creating a separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. He was accused of being indecisive, insensitive and opportunistic, as 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 the protests.
He was condemned for his alleged involvement in the killing of political opponents and protesters. He was suspected of being involved in the murders of his uncle YS Raja Reddy in 1998, his brother-in-law YS Vivekananda Reddy in 2019 and TDP leader Paritala Ravindra in 2005. He was also accused of orchestrating the assassination of TDP leader N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2003.
He is accused of violating human rights and civil liberties. He is accused of using the police and authorities to harass, intimidate and arrest political opponents, journalists, activists and members of civil society. He is also accused of abusing the anti-terrorism law, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), to target Maoists and their supporters.
Social media
- Twitter Username: None
- Instagram Name: None
Net worth
According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), YSR has a net worth of Rs 510 crore which is equivalent to $71 million.
He is the fourth richest MLA of India and the richest in Andhra Pradesh. His assets include agricultural land, commercial buildings, residential properties, stocks, bonds, bank deposits, vehicles and jewellery.
