Profile |
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Dr. Y S
Rajasekhara Reddy
Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh
Dr. Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy,
popularly known as YS, is an astute politician and a charismatic mass leader who carved
for himself a special niche in State politics with utter devotion and dedication for the
welfare of forlorn and downtrodden.
Son of late Sri Y.S.Raja Reddy, a dynamic
and popular leader of his days, Rajasekhara Reddy is a born leader and a crowd-puller.
Right from his student days he evinced intense interest in politics. While in M R Medical
College, Gulbarga, Karnataka, he served as President of students union. He was elected
leader of House Surgeon's Association in S V Medical College, Tirupati.
Though he had an upper middle class
background – he was born on July 8, 1949 in Pulivendula in the backward region of
Rayalaseema – his sympathies were always with poor and deprived. His thinking always
revolved round the dreams of uplifting the downtrodden sections in the region. After
completing MBBS, he served as Medical Officer at Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital for a
brief period. In 1973 he established a 70-bed charitable hospital at Pulivendula in the
name of Sri Y. S. Raja Reddy, his father continues to serve the poor till date. His family
established one Polytechnic and one degree college in Pulivendula which were later handed
over to the well-known Loyola institutions.
His sound financial backdrop,
entrepreneurship, transparency and openness brought many accomplishments in business
arena. This probably turned many of his adversaries, political and otherwise, into bitter
enemies who, desperately search for a stick to beat him, carry on their mud-slinging
‘mission’. But they fall flat on their unfounded charges as they miserably fail
to prove a single point.
Holding fast to family tradition of public
service he joined active politics in 1978 with a single-goal mission of serving people.
Since 1978 he contested four times to State Legislative Assembly and equal number of times
to Lower House of Parliament. As a person not known for defeat, he won all elections he
contested. His admirers claim he defeats the defeat.
During his 25-years political career, he
served the people to the best of his abilities in various capacities, both in government
as well as in Party. He was President of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) twice
– 1983-1985 and 1998-2000. It was a very brief period that Dr.Y.S.R. was close to the
parleys of power. During 1980-1983 he was a minister holding important portfolios related
to Rural Development, Medical & Health and Education etc. Since 1999 he is Leader of
Opposition in the eleventh state assembly.
As Champion of masses he left no stone
unturned to raise the voice of people in the assembly, which forced the government many a
time to retrace its anti-people steps. He led and guided many mass struggles on the
burning issues of peasants, weavers, Dalits, youth, women, pending irrigation projects
besides Rayalaseema backwardness. His unremitting combat against anti-people economic
reforms and the concomitant hike in power tariff, indiscriminate privatization and closure
of production units rendering thousands upon thousands of workers unemployed have reserved
a special place for Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Even as an young MLA, YSR rallied all the
Congress MLA's from Rayalaseema and led an indefinite hunger strike on water issue. Then
later he also led a Paadayaathra from Lepakshi to Pothireddipadu in Kurnool district. The
14-day hunger strike of legislators under his leadership in August 2000 to protest against
hike in power charges is still fresh in the memory of people. He exposure of the
government and its misdeeds both inside and outside the Assembly made him a darling of the
masses who chose him their representative to side with them. Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy played
this role to the hilt.
He can proudly claim to hold the distinction
of not being a turncoat in Indian politics, which is a regular pastime for many a
politician. The phrase “shifting loyalties” does not find place in his political
encyclopedia. Whatever might be the exigencies or demands of convenience he never turned
his back to the party that gave him political life. Neither lure of power, position nor
glitter of riches diverted him from the chosen path. His loyalty to Congress Party is
unflinching and unwavering. His commitment to the cause is unmatched.
Dr.Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy is a born fighter. He knows he owes to people for what he is
today. And he fights for them. |
