YSR's Legacy Remembered

Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, was born on July 8, 1949, in Pulivendula in the backward Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.

Rajasekhara Reddy evinced interest in politics right from his student days. While studying in M R Medical College, Gulbarga, Karnataka, he served as president of the Students union. He was elected leader of the House Surgeon's Association in S V Medical College, Tirupati.

After completing his MBBS, Reddy served as Medical Officer at the Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital for a brief period. In 1973, he established a 70-bed charitable hospital at Pulivendula, named after his father. His family established one polytechnic and one degree college in Pulivendula, which were later handed over to the well-known Loyola group of institutions.

Reddy entered active politics in 1978 and contested elections -- four times to enter the state Legislative Assembly and an equal number of times to enter the Lower House of Parliament. A significant achievement of YSR is that he has won all the elections he contested.

In a career spanning 25 years, YSR served in multiple capacities. He was president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) twice, from 1983 to 1985 and then again from 1998 to 2000. From 1999 to 2004 he was the Leader of Opposition in the 11th state Assembly.

YSR took part in several mass struggles, and highlighted issues facing peasants, weavers, Dalits, youth and women. He also introduced many reforms, including the frequent increases in power tariff and indiscriminate privatisation of public sector units.

During mid-summer in 2003, he led a 1400-km long Paadayaatra covering all backward areas in the state and in the Assembly elections which were held in 2004 he swept the state by winning 185 seats.

Reddy was elected as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh after that massive mandate.

Reddy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the second consecutive term on May 20, 2009. The ceremony was held in Hyderabad's Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium and attended by a crowd of around 20,000 people.

During his first term as CM Opposition parties alleged corruption in Reddy's led state government. In 2008, Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu accused Reddy and his family were involved in the Satyam scandal.