YSR Reddy 1949-2009
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was killed after the helicopter in which he was travelling crashlanded atop the Rudrakonda hill in the Nallamalla range, about 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool.
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was killed after the helicopter in which he was travelling crashlanded atop the Rudrakonda hill in the Nallamalla range, about 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool.<br><br>The chopper carrying the AP Chief Minister, his Principal Secretary P Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer ASC Wesley, pilot Group Captain S K Bhatia and co-pilot M S Reddy, went off the radar screens on Wednesday amid bad weather and incessant rains.<br><br>The 11-year-old Bell 430 helicopter with five on board had lost radio contact one hour after it took off from the old Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad at 0835 hours on Wednesday. Indian Air Force personnel located the helicopter in the deep forests on Thursday morning, after 24 hours of massive land, air and satellite-backed search. (NDTV Photo)
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The helicopter went missing after it lost contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC), Chennai at 0913 hrs on Wednesday, an hour after it took off from the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. Several rescue missions were pressed into service to locate the missing chopper. With hardly any roads, and no mobile or radio networks, the rescue mission lasted over 23 hours. (AFP Photo)
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YSR expanded his political empire from Andhra Pradesh's feudal Reddy heartland. He won 4 Lok Sabha and 4 Assembly elections from Kadappa. He was credited publicly and often with being a leader with a huge mass base, a rarity in the Congress party. He was particularly popular for his welfare schemes, which found no match around the country. (AFP Photo)
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YSR's last term in office was marred by accusations of corruptions and scams. His son’s media empire expanded rapidly under his father's watch. Critics of the YSR regime, like the powerful Eenadu media group, were severely dealt with. Even the Satyam scandal, it was alleged, had a YSR connection. (AFP Photo)
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Superstar Chiranjeevi decided to throw his weight into the last elections and many doubted what YSR would accomplish for the Congress. But in his campaign, YSR claimed he was a development man and fought on the back of populist schemes: irrigation, pensions, schemes for women. The YSR magic worked, and his party’s victory was seen as hard evidence of a grassroots politician whose charisma trounced the controversy surrounding him. (AFP Photo)
