About Dr. YSR

Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy

Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (Telugu: వై.ఎస్.రాజశేఖర్ రెడ్డి) (8 July 1949 – 2 September 2009), popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, serving from 2004 to 2009. He has been viewed 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 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. 
There are rumours and conspiracy theories about a highly influential Indian business tycoon's involvement in his untimely death exist.

Personal life and religious beliefs

Dr. Y S Rajasekhara 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). Jagan contested and won the Kadapa Lok Sabha by-election with a record 5 lakh plus majority.YSR's younger brother Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy is also a Congress(I) politician.YSR's parents were devout Christians as was he; and he was buried according to Christian rites.YSR visited Bethlehem and other historically important Christian places in Israel twice. He visited Tirupati 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 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.YSR 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 2 September 2009)

As Chief Minister

During his tenure as CM,the government of Andhra Pradesh undertook the following projects :

• 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 insurance 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 subsidised 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 BBC has called him a champion of social welfare schemes.His tenure also saw significant weakening of the violent extremist left-wing Naxalite movement that was rampant in the state when he assumed office in 2004.


Other projects:-

• Jala Yagnam:-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.

*** 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%.

Face 2 Face YSR Last Interview:-