The Leader

I never ideated of penning a blog about one politician, never felt so wretched from deep of my heart when someone died who is no way related to me, either personally or professionally or in any form.

I would like to cast one question to one and all, Have you ever seen or heard from the history books, people die of shock soon after the death of one politician, at least to my knowledge I never heard that.

This person is not so intelligent by birth, not a superman built but he is a hero of millions. It’s none other than just recently passed AP CM, Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy popularly YSR.

It was on July 08, 1947 it would be just another day for most of the people in the world, but there is reason for YS Raja Reddy and Jayamma, to celebrate, remember and cherish that particular day. Yes they blessed with baby boy at Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital near Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh, India. All those shaking hands, congratulation would have never felt this boy is going to win millions of hearts and will get the followers everywhere in the world at that time. Nobody ever envisaged he is going to reserve some space for him in the pages of history. YSR, the power is in the name itself. He was called with the many names AP tiger, Pulivendala Puli etc.

Academics and Pre political life

YSR finished his schooling in Bellary at St John's school; he went to Loyola College, Vijayawada for pre university education. He received his MBBS degree from Gulbarga in Karnataka in 1972. He married to Vijaya the same year. After his internship at a Tirupati hospital, he was trained at Jammalamadugu by his paternal aunt Dr Ratnamma, elder sister of the former Pulivendla legislator, Dr S Purushottama Reddy. Thereafter, he worked in a hospital built for him by his father in Pulivendla.

YSR is average student in his studies but adopted the leadership qualities since his childhood. He is the eldest of five sons of YS Raja reddy a dynamic local leader in his heydays. YSR evinced interests in politics while studying at M.R. Medical College, Gulbarga in Karnataka. After completing his MBBS, YSR served as medical officer at the Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital for a brief period. In 1973, he established a 70-bed charitable hospital.

He had faced many contentions from the opposition and from his own political party Indira Congress. His enemies desired to prove YSR is corrupted in all potential ways including the religious issues of Tirupathi.

Religion

Everyone would be wondering whether he belongs to dominated cast Reddy or he belongs to the Christian religion. Yedugoori Sandinti Venkat Reddy a grand father of YSR was a Lord Venkateshwara devotee till Father Rolls and Sister Noble descended on his Balpanur village, near Pulivendla, Cuddapah district. These two British Protestants struck a chord in Venkat Reddy's heart, and he embraced Christianity. The whole village was soon gunning for his blood. Because of this their family ostracized from the village, but then Sarpanch Achutha Narayana Reddy came to his rescue. They stayed back in the same village till 1933 then moved to Pulivendla because they bought 120 acres of land their and happily settled, Then onwards whole family bosomed to Christianity. When asked, was there any reason for the conversion? "We realized Jesus is the real god," says Jayamma, mother of YSR.

The sudden death of his father YS Raja Reddy for a brutal murder made him go crazy and wanted the power at any cost with politics. Though he is being called as Cuddapah Tiger, people never afraid to come to him and explain about the problem.

Young CM?

When Congress party won the elections in 1994, it was lot of speculations that YSR would be the CM of that term, but it had given to senior most politicians Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy. The whole family of YSR disappointed with this decision from High Command as they were told in advance that YSR is the next CM. the family blame P V Narasimha Rao then prime minister for this decision they feel it’s a cheat from the PVN.

Political entry

Just 3 years later he plunged into politics, congress had been split into two parties Indira congress and Reddy congress. In 1978 general elections YSR elected to the state assembly from Pulivendula from Reddy-Congress party. Reddy congress manages to get only 3 MLA’s to the assembly. Reddy-Congress party later merged into congress instantly after the election. YSR has given the rural development minister of the state from 1980 to 1983 in T Anjaiah cabinet, excise minister in 1982 from Venkaram’s cabinet and education minister in Kotla Vijaybhaskar Reddy cabinet from 1982 to 1983. He retained the assembly seat in 1983 even when NTR swept to power with a historic victory. He became the youngest congress chief in 1983.

In the 1985 election, which saw a stronger wave privileging NTR (after Nandendla Bhaskar Rao usurped his mandate) than the 1984 Congress wave. YSR did a hat-trick in Pulivendla, polling 65 per cent of the votes. In 1989, he won the Cuddapah Lok Sabha seat while his brother Y S Vivekananda Reddy was elected from Pulivendla assembly constituency. In 1992, the latter quit the seat as YSR wanted to make a bid for the CM's post. But, as YSR had opted out of the CM race, his uncle Dr Purushottama Reddy was fielded in the by-election. He won the seat effortlessly. Pulivedla elected Vivekananda Reddy in 1994 despite another NTR wave.

YSR won the Cuddapah Lok Sabha seat first in 1989, then in 1991, 1996 and 1998.

Flitting from one controversy to the other, YSR is known to have made as many friends as enemies during his political career. Several Congress and Opposition leaders allege he was among those who instigated the 1990 Hyderabad communal riots.

Opposition leader

Sensing a potential leader in him, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed YSR president of the state unit of Congress when he was only 34. But as mentioned above in 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kadapa and held the seat till 1999, when he shifted again to state politics. From 1998 to 2000, he again served as president of the state Congress.

Though the party lost the 1999 state elections, YSR emerged as the strongest leader of the party and became the leader of opposition.

Turning point

The year 2003 was a turning point in his political career, as he undertook a 64-day padyatra, or walkathon, across the state. Covering 1,500 km under the scorching sun, he received petitions from people about their problems, mainly relating to agriculture and unemployment.

It was this campaign and a strong anti-incumbency wave against Chandrababu Naidu's government which catapulted YSR to power.

His experiences during the padyatra helped him shape his policies after assuming office as he gave free electricity to farmers, waived their loans, introduced several welfare schemes like pension for the aged, widows and handicapped, housing for poor, Rs.2-a-kg rice, Rajiv Arogyasri or community health insurance scheme and a massive programme to build irrigation projects.

Thanks to these promises which made him to become CM of AP for the first time in year 2004. Congress plus got 226 assembly seats out of 294 in this election.

His initiatives like Jala yagnam, free power to farmers, Rajiv arogyashree, pavala vaddi, indiramma illu, 2/kg rice and many more people friendly initiatives fetched to get another successful result in 2009 general elections. Congress has won 156 of Andhra Pradesh's 294 seats and bagged 33 of its 42 Lok Sabha seats. This time his slogan was development and the credibility.

Look at those numbers; not so easy achieve with the political entry of Megastar Chiranjeevi, strong TDP and this time without TRS, CPI & CPM.

People would have had other imprint on his religious space, one example I would like to advert, In April 2008, He donated a 1.5kg gold chain to Lord Venkateshwara, the presiding deity of the famed Tirumala-Tirupati hills. This is the best example to justify he is not up for any particular religion or for cast. Of course it’s always cast/religion equations plays a lead role in politics of AP or any state in India for that matter. The dominant Reddy fame helped YSR in large extent.

Ok, let’s get back to my heading, why I named this blog as “The Leader”, the answer is pretty simple I have nothing special to mention, instead I would say just read the biography of YSR. If someone asks me to define perfect example for the leader in public domain, I will give the name YSR.

Death

It leaves sorrow in the deep of everyone heart who wanted to see the developed India, for YSR death on 2^nd September 2009. YSR, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday at the age of 60, was a powerful and charismatic force in Andhra Pradesh politics. His death cut short the career of a feisty politician who helped the Congress return to power at the Centre in 2004 and led the party to victory in state assembly polls that year as well.