Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy’s tragic death has been a ‘tremendous loss’ for Congress Party in the state. After sudden death of a mass leader, who is the next to lead the state? YSR Reddy was the one man Army for Congress in Andhra Pradesh. As per sources, Rosaiah may continue as CM for some more months. But, what next?

 

The top contenders for the post are:

 

YS Jaganmohan Reddy: He is a young and dynamic Congress leader of Andhra Pradesh. YSJ is also known as youth representative of Andhra Pradesh. He is the son of late chief minister YS Rajsekhara Reddy. He represents Kadapa constituency in the Lok Sabha. YSJ is the hot favourite for his father’s post.

 

K Rosaiah: He is the Finance Minister in YSR Reddy’s cabinet is among the top contender for the post. He is believed to be one of the close aides of YSR. He is the one of the most senior Congress leader in the state.

 

K Jana Reddy: is among the most prominent leaders of the ruling Indian National Congress (INC) state government led by Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

 

Jaipal Reddy: The Union Urban Development Minister is also eligible candidate for the CM’s job.

 

Finding right replacement of YSR will be a big task for Congress Party as the former was known for his popularity among common men.

 

Let’s have a close look on political and personal life of all top contenders’.

 

YS Jaganmohan Reddy:

 

Preceded by : Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy

Constituency : Kadapa , Andhra Pradesh
Born : 21 December 1972, Pulivendula village of Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh
Residence : Hyderabad
Religion : Christian (Church of South India)

Early life:

 

Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was born in Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh to Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy and Vijaya Lakshmi. He has a sister, Sharmila. He did his schooling in Hyderabad Public School, and graduation in Nizam College.

 

Personal life:

 

Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy is married to Bharathi, daughter of Dr. E.C Gangi Reddy, a local pediatrician and philanthropist from Pulivendula who currently serves as Pulivendula mandal president.

 

Foray into Business:

 

Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy started his career as an industrialist picking up on hydel power early in life at 24. “I wanted to do business and took up a micro 2-MW project that could not be implemented,” recalls Reddy. Even as he generates 43 MW now from his mini hydel projects spread over in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, he is scouring for more projects rather than resting on the initial success.

 

In early 2009, he announced that a steel factory would come up in Muddanur mandal of Jammalamadugu constituency with an investment of Rs. 3500 crores.

 

He is the chairman of Jagati Publications which owns Telugu media Sakshi newspaper and Sakshi TV channel. In 2008, his newspaper Sakshi (magazine) became the first all-colour Telugu daily.

 

In less than a year, he followed up the initial foray into media by launching Sakshi Television, the only regional channel to offer high-definition images. For one who had his early schooling in Pulivendula village in Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Mohan Reddy has come a long way.

 

Political Career:

 

Jagan Mohan Reddy took the Indian National Congress membership at early age. Though Jagan was raring to jump headlong into the electoral fray YSR was said to have opposed the move, asking him to concentrate instead on the business ventures of the family. Especially after he became the CM, YSR was particular that his son should not dabble in politics, as it might provide grist to his enemies both within and outside the party. However, with Jagan’s insistence on his interest in politics and the family supporting his decision, the Chief Minister is said to have succumbed to the pressure of formally allowing his entry through the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.

 

Jagan’s supporters also felt that by projestion him as a young entrepreneur and philanthropist, they could counter the charisma of cine stars, which have either started new political outfits or have been actively campaigning for regional parties.

 

Jagan mania had gripped from last year itself especially among youth, women and children. He was elected as an MP from Kadapa constituency (Cuddapah (Lok Sabha constituency) in 2009 Lok sabha elections (Indian general election, 2009) deating his nearest rival Dr. M.V. Mysura Reddy, YSR’s bete noir and a long-standing Congressman, who had switched sides to the TDP just before the 2004 Lok sabha elections, by a margin of over 1,30,000 votes.

 

 

K.Rosaiah:

 

Preceded by : Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy

Constituency : None, (MLC)
Born : 4 July 1933 (age 76), Vemuru, Guntur District

Spouse : Sivalaxmi
Children : 3 sons and 1 daughter
Residence : Ameerpet, Hyderabad

Early life:

 

K.Rosaiah was born in Vemuru in Guntur District. Rosaiah graduated from Guntur Hindu College of (now Acharya Nagarjuna University, then Andhra University) in Commerce. While he was studying in Guntur, he was elected as the student leader and thus entered into politics.

 

Political career:

 

Konijeti Rosaiah was elected as MLC in 1968, 1974 and 1980.

• He became the Minister of cabinet for transportation and Roads and Buildings for the first time in 1979 under Marri Chenna Reddy.
• He was cabinet minster under T.Anjaiah in 1980.
• The Cabinet minister for Transportation and Housing, under K.Vijaya Bhasker Reddy in 1982.
• The cabinet minister for Home, Under M.Chenna Reddy in 1989.
• The cabinet minister for Finance, Transportation and Electricity, under Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy in 1990.
• The cabinet minister for Finance, Health and Education and Electricity, Under K.Vijaya Bhasker Reddy in 1992.
• The cabinet minister for Finance, Health and Education, and Electricity, from 2004 to 2009-09-03 under Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy the cabinet minister for Finance.

He is a senior most congress leader in AP and he is seen as a non controversial leader. Since College he has been actively involved with politics with Congress party for over 50 years. As a Finance minister he played a vital role in the growth of Andhra Pradesh state. He is considered as one of the Non controversial Congress Leaders of the State.

 

As Finance Minister:

 

K.Rosaiah introduced state budget for 13 times. He is the only person in Indian history to introduce budget for any state for 13 times and 5 consecutive times. He is also the first finance minister in the history of Andra Pradesh to introduce a whopping budget of above one lakh crores.

 

Rosaiah served as a Finance minister during the 70s under Marri Chenna Reddy’s Chief Minister term, during the 80′s under Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy’s term and presently under Y. S. Rajashekhar Reddy’s government. In his tenure as Finance minister in Chenna Reddy’s Cabinet, he ensured that teachers recieved timely retirement benfits.

 

Honours:

 

Andhra University conferred Rosaiah with honorary doctorate in 2007.

 

Personal life:

 

K. Rosaiah is married to Sivalaxmi and has three sons and a daughter.

 

Kunduru Jana Reddy:

Constituency : Chalakurthi, Nalgonda Dist

Spouse : Sumathi
Children : Raghuveer, Jaiveer
Residence : Hyderabad
Religion : Hindu

Kunduru Jana Reddy (born 20 June, 1946) was the Minister for Home, Jails, Fire Service, Sainik Welfare, and Printing & Stationery of the State of Andhra Pradesh. He is among the most prominent cabinet ministers of the ruling Indian National Congress (INC) state government led by the late former Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

 

Early life and Politics:

 

Jana Reddy was born in Anumala, a village near Historic Nagarjuna Sagar in the Nalgonda district. He ventured into politics by joining the Telugu Desam Party founded by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, and was first elected to the State Legislature from the Chalakurthi constituency of the Nalgonda district in 1983 on a Telugu Desam Party ticket. He was re-elected for 5 terms to the Assembly from the Chalakurthi constituency, and went on to hold portfolios such as Agriculture, Co-operative, Marketing, Forest, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Wights & Measures, C.A.D.,Transport, Roads & Buildings, and Panchayath Raj in N. T. Rama Rao Government.

 

Jana Reddy resigned from the Telugu Desam Party and joined Congress after Nara Chandrababu Naidu was successful in defecting a large number of his party Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) against the party president and his father-in-law N. T. Rama Rao.

 

Jaipal Reddy:

 

Constituency : Chevella

Born : 16 January 1942 (age 67) Madgul, Andhra Pradesh
Spouse : Lakshmi
Residence : Madgul
Religion : Atheist

Sudini Jaipal Reddy is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha. He represents the Chevella constituency of Andhra Pradesh. He is currently the Cabinet Minister of Urban Development.

 

He has an M.A. from the Osmania University, Hyderabad. He is disabled and uses crutches.

 

Between 1969 and 1984 he was an MLA of Kalwakurthy, a constituency in Andhra Pradesh for four terms. He was a member of the Congress Party but quit it to protest against the emergency and joined the Janata Party in 1977.

 

He contested the 1980 Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully from Medak against Indira Gandhi. He was the general secretary of the Janata Party from 1985 to 1988. He was elected to the Lok Sabha five times:

• The 8th Lok Sabha in 1984 (in alliance with TDP)

• The 12th in 1998 (again as ally of TDP)

• The 13th in 1999 (as a member of the Congress Party)

• The 14th in 2004 (as a member of the Congress Party)

• The 15th in 2009 (as a member of the Congress Party)

 

He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha on two occasions, 1990–1996 and 1997–1998. He also held the position of leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha for a year from June 1991 to June 1992.

 

In 1999–2000, he was the Chairman of Committee of privileges. He served as the minister for Information and Broadcasting in the government on two occasions: in 1997–1998 under I. K. Gujral and from 2004 under Manmohan Singh with additional responsibility for Culture.

 

A unique facet of his political career has been that he acted as the spokesman for all the parties of which he has been a member. He is known for the quality of his debates in the parliament and was awarded the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1998.

 

Author: Mona Gupta.

 

 

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