YSR killed in chopper crash

The Andhra Pradesh CM was distinct from most Congressmen in that he was a mass leader who had his finger on the pulse of the people.
Hardnews Bureau

After around 26 hours of intensive search across six districts of Andhra Pradesh, the worst fears came true. Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, 60, died in a helicopter crash.

The largest search operation was launched after the Bell chopper carrying YSR went missing around 9.12 am on September 2. Around 8.30 am this morning, an Indian Air Force chopper on a search mission located the chopper around 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool. The chopper was found in a mangled state on Rudrakonda hill surrounded by thick forest. Five bodies were found. Besides YSR, his special secretary, P Subrahmanyam, chief security officer, ASC Wesley and pilot Group Captain SK Bhatia and co-pilot MS Reddy were killed in the crash.

The bodies were charred beyond recognition. Para commandos were flown in. They slithered down at the crash site. After much effort, the bodies could be retrieved and flown down to Kurnool by helicopters. After post-mortem at Kurnool General Hospital, they will be brought to Hyderabad later in the evening.

YSR's body will be kept at the Lal Bahadur stadium in Hyderabad from 10 am on Friday where people can pay their last respects. Around 1 pm on Friday, YSR's body will be taken to Pulivendula, his birth place Kadapa, where his funeral will be held with full state honours.

He is survived by his wife, Vijay Lakshmi, son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, and daughter, Sharmila.

The news of the CM's death came as a shock. The Congress has been left shaken by the sudden demise. In the general elections, YSR was the main contributor to Congress' poll success in the 2009 general elections winning 33 out of 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh. Proving political analysts and poll pundits wrong, he returned to power for a second successive term in the state, a rare feat by a Congress chief minister.

A qualified doctor, YSR was lovingly called the Tiger of Kadapa. He was distinct from most Congressmen in that he was a leader of the people. He was accessible and his pro-people policies earned him huge popularity in the state.

He was keen on development of Andhra and was known for his political acumen. He would often visit remote villages and towns to take stock of how the policies are being implemented

On Wednesday, too, he boarded the chopper to make a surprise visit to villages in Chitoor. In his last interview, just before he took the ill-fated flight, he said that he was making the surprise visit to find out for himself how his policies were being implemented at the grassroots level.

In fact, YSR was Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's, favourite CM. Ever since the chopper went missing, Gandhi had been closely monitoring the situation. She was also in touch with YSR's family.

Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are expected to go to Hyderabad on Friday. Singh sent an emotional condolence message to YSR's wife. In a statement, the PM said, "Rajasekharaji died as he lived - in the service of the people of Andhra Pradesh and the country... I have lost a valued colleague on whom I depended for support and ideas. Rajasekharaji's life was one of tireless commitment and service to the people, especially the poor and the underprivileged... As a Chief Minister, Rajasekharaji will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to the development of Andhra Pradesh and his administrative acumen."

Flags flew at half mast at the Congress party headquarters. Leaders across the political spectrum paid tribute to YSR. His main rival, Chandrababu Naidu, said, "We were very good friends. He was a man of conviction and charisma. I am shocked," he said.