Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy

Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy popularly known as Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and MLA of Pulivendula from the YSRCP. He was born on 21-December-1972 to Y.S Rajashekar Reddy(late) & Y. S. Vijayamma in Jammalamadugu village. His father Y.S Rajashekar Reddy was a Former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh he has a huge political career.

He has completed SSC from Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet in 1989. From 1989-1991, he has completed Intermediate. He attained a Bachelor of Commerce from Pragati Maha Vidyalaya College, Osmania University, Hyderabad in 1994.

Jagan Reddy married Bharathi Reddy on 28-August-1996. The couple has two daughters, the eldest of whom studied undergraduate in London. He is a Catholic Christian.

Jaganmohan Reddy started his political career campaigning for Indian National Congress during the 2004 elections in Kadapa District. In 2009, Reddy was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) from the Kadapa constituency.

With the death of his father in Sep 2009, Jaganmohan Reddy started his earnest efforts to take up the political legacy left by his father. The majority of the legislators favored him to be appointed as the Chief Minister. Sonia Gandhi, party chief of the Indian National Congress, and her son Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary did not agree to this.

Six months after his father’s death, he began an Odarpu yatra (condolence tour) as promised earlier to go and meet the families of those alleged to have either committed suicide or suffered ill health on the news of his father’s death. The Congress party’s central leadership directed him to call off his odarpu yatra, an order which he defied leading to a fallout between the high command and himself. He went ahead with the yatra, stating that it was a personal matter.

On 29-November-2010, he resigned, after a fallout with the Congress party high command. He announced on 07-December-2010 from Pulivendula that he would be starting a new party within 45 days. In March 2011, he announced the YSR Congress Party name at Jagganapeta of East Godavari district. He is the Founder of YSRCP(Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party). Later, YSRCP went to by-polls in the YSR Kadapa district and won almost all the seats with a huge majority. Reddy, as the President of the YSR Congress, faced by-election from the Kadapa constituency and won by a large margin of 545,043 votes.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has disclosed that Reddy, accepted Rs 1,172 crore from various investors as a bribe and in turn, helped them get favors from the state government. The favors are mainly land, mining leases, and licenses for new industries. Reddy, Member of Parliament from Kadapa and late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son, was arrested by the investigating agency on 27 May in connection with a disproportionate assets case. A CBI special court in Hyderabad on 28 May remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. He remained in the Chanchalguda Central Prison till 11 June.

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Jagan Mohan Reddy on embezzlement charges, and his Judicial custody was extended repeatedly as the investigation proceeded. The Supreme Court also dismissed his petition on 04-July-2012,09-August-2012, and on 13-May-2013.

In March 2012, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to extend their investigations to six ministers (Kanna Lakshminarayana, Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, Sabita Indra Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, J Geetha Reddy and Dharmana Prasada Rao), and eight senior bureaucrats, who were implicated in issuing 26 Government orders that helped the companies investing in Reddy’s firms. Andhra Excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana was arrested on 24 May 2012. CBI also summoned BCCI chief N Srinivasan on 07-June-2012.

As a sequel to allegations that CBI had selectively released information to the press to tarnish the image of Reddy, the Central Vigilance Commissioner sought a report on the matter from the investigating agency.

The YSR Congress and Reddy’s family have been alleging a political conspiracy behind Reddy’s investigations. BJP has noted that CBI has been pursuing this case with greater vigor than that of government-aligned politicians with similar charges such as Sushil Kumar Shinde or Vilasrao Deshmukh.

While in jail, Reddy started a hunger strike opposing the United Progressive Alliance’s decision to endorse the creation of a separate Telangana state. After 125 hours of indefinite hunger strike, his sugar levels and blood pressure were down. He was moved to Osmania General Hospital for treatment. His mother, MLA Vijayamma, was also on a hunger strike protesting the formation of Telangana out of AP. After his release, Reddy called for a 72-hour bandh protesting the formation of Telangana. Both Reddy and his mother resigned from their legislatures opposing the decision favoring the formation of Telangana.

In 2014, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), was a pre-poll favorite among most analysts and psephologists. But, the YSRCP lost the 2014 elections, winning only 67 of 175 seats in the state assembly, with 45% of the vote share. In the 2014 election, the Telugu Desam Party vote share went up to 47% and the 2% gap led to the defeat of YSRCP. In 2014, Jagan Mohan Reddy won the MLA Post in Pulivedula Constituency from YSRCP.

As a leader of the Opposition in Assembly and YSR Congress Party President, Reddy launched his 3,000-km-long walkathon named PrajaSankalpaYatra on 06-November-2017.

The YSRC chief launched his ‘Praja Sankalpa Padayatra’ at RK Valley in his native Kadapa district after paying homage at the grave of his father. YSR Congress party coined a slogan “Raavali Jagan, Kaavali Jagan” for the foot march that took to him across 125 Assembly segments in 13 districts of the state in 430 days. This Yatra was started on 06-November-2017 and ended on 09-January-2019.

Reddy while boarding a flight to Hyderabad was attacked with a cockfighting knife in the VIP Lounge of Visakhapatnam Airport on 25-October-2018. He received an injury on his shoulder and had to undergo surgery.

In the 2019 National and State election held in April–May 2019, YSR Congress Party swept the polls and won 151 of the total 175 assembly seats and 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in AP.  Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy took oath as Chief Minister on 30-May-2019. In 2019, AP Legislative elections, he was elected as  Member of Legislative Assembly(MLA) from Pulivendula constituency(Second Term).

On 10-05-2019, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the YSR Vahana Mitra Scheme which provides an Rs.10,000 allowance to self-employed drivers of the state. This latest scheme which is available only in Andhra Pradesh is the fulfillment of an election promise made by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during his 3,648 km. On 15-11-2019, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ program which seeks to transform government schools into vibrant and competitive institutions. The program is set to turn a new leaf over the education sector and will provide opportunities to weaker sections and the underprivileged.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy came up with an elaborate model of governance comprising welfare schemes based on the party’s Navaratnalu. As the name suggests, through nine large-scale welfare programs that will percolate to the grassroots, the party plans to offer benefits worth a minimum of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per year.

The Schemes are YSR Rythu Bharosa, Fee Reimbursement, Arogyasri, Jalayagnam, Ban on Alcohol, Amma Vodi, YSR Asara, Pedhalandariki Illu, Pensionla Pempu, YSR & YS Jagan Vidya Kanuka.