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Dr Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy (born 8 July 1949), also known as YSR, is currently serving as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He represents the Congress party. He was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Pulivendula Assembly constituency, Kadapa district.

Reddy was sworn in as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on May 14, 2004. It is widely known that his Pada Yatra played a crucial role in bringing Congress back to power in Andhra Pradesh after nine years.

Family background

YSR, the second of five brothers, was born in Pulivendula, a small town in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The Reddy family have traditionally been large land-owners in southern Andhra Pradesh but made their fortunes in the 1970s and 1980s mining barite, an industrial mineral used in the oil industry.

YSR was married to Vijayalakshmi in 1972. The couple have a son, Jagan Mohan, and a daughter, Sharmila. YSR's brother, Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, is a member of the Lok Sabha, representing Cuddapah district for Congress.

Education

YSR graduated in medical science from the M. R. Medical College of Gulbarga, Karnataka. During his time at the college, he served as the president of the student union.

He did his internship at Sri Venkateshwara Medical College, Tirupathi. He was elected leader of the House Surgeons' Association of that college. On completion of his MBBS, he served as a medical officer in the Church of South India's Campbell Hospital, Jammalamadugu, Diocese of Nandyal for a brief period.

Political career

YSR has been in politics for over thirty years. He started his career as president of a samithi and later served as a youth congress leader. In the 1978 elections, he was elected on the Congress ticket at the age of 29. He served as minister in Tanguturi Anjaiah's cabinet for a brief period.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made Reddy president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee when he was 34 years old. He served two terms in this role, from 1983-1985 and again from 1998-2000.

Reddy has represented the Kadapa constituency as Member of Parliament four times. He has also served several terms as a member of the legislative assembly of Andhra Pradesh, representing Pulivendula constituency.

From 1980-1983, Reddy was a minister holding portfolios related to Rural Development, Medical & Health and Education. From 1999 to 2004 he served as Leader of the Opposition in the eleventh state assembly.

Reddy's interests include the rights of peasants, weavers, Dalits, youth and women. He has worked on the clearance of pending irrigation projects, particularly in the Rayalaseema region. On one occasion, Reddy organised Congress MLAs from the Rayalaseema region into an indefinite hunger strike demanding a solution to a water crisis. In August 2000, he led a 14-day hunger strike of legislators to protest against the hike in electricity charges.

As Chief Minister

Reddy was sworn in as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on 14 May 2004. He was faced with a mammoth task of rejuvenating and rural economy and agriculture sector which was an area neglected by the previous government. He has concentrated on agricultural funding, including a controversial grant of free electricity to farmers. The first two years of his tenure have seen Rs 16,000 crore spent on irrigation projects.

He invested alot of Public property in his son's Daily editor Sakshi and providing daily papers to andhrites at a cheap price,though its a lot of Burden for him and his son.This shows his corruption

Jala Yagnam

'Jala yagnam' was Reddy's election promise to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh, committing to doubling the area under irrigation in five years. This project comprises a number of irrigation projects, the construction of new reservoirs and lift irrigation systems, and a scheme to divert water from major rivers through canals. It also includes the linking up of two major rivers: the Godavari and the Krishna.

Harithandhra Pradesh

Reddy pledge to supply free electricity to farmers' irrigation projects. The programme is still in place, despite being a heavy burden to the state's economy. Reddy pledge to supply rice for the white card holders in Andhrapradesh for 2Rs per kilo.This was introduced recently on Telugu new year,despite being a heavy burden to the state's economy.

Indiramma programme

Indiramma is an acronym for Integrated Development In Rural Areas and Model Municipal Areas. This programme seeks to achieve integrated development of the state. It was launched by Reddy on 30 March 2006. Under the programme, the Government would lay roads, construct houses and schools, and pursue other development programmes.

Indiramma's target is to build 7 million houses for the rural poor by the year 2009.

Pensions for the poor

Reddy claims to have given pensions to 40 lakh people, and to have raised pension payments from Rs 75 to Rs 200 per month.

Rural Houseing scheme

This program targets to construct 80 lakh new houses in rural areas at subsidized costs over a period of 6 years. The 80 lakh house would mean a shelter for about 3 crore people which is about 30% of the population of the state.

Controversies

On 3 January 2007, Reddy surrendered 997 acres (4.0 km) of land in Kadapa district belonging to him and his family, for distribution to the poor..

References

1. The Hindu. "YSR surrenders yet 997 acres (4.0 km) more"

External links

• Karan Thapar interviews YSR regarding Controversial Land
• Government of Andhra Pradesh - Official profile
• Government of Andhra Pradesh - Contact details
• YSR's official website

• Articles with weasel words from December 2007
• Articles with a promotional tone from January 2007
• Misplaced Pages articles with style issues from January 2007
• Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from January 2007
• 1949 births
• Living people
• Chief ministers of Indian states
• Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh
• Indian Anglicans
• Telugu people
• Indian National Congress politicians