area.
The wreckage of the aircraft and the bodies were recovered Sept. 3. "The aircraft is broken up into several parts and is charred, the bodies are also charred," Home Minister P .
Chidambaram, who headed the search operation, said in New Delhi.
Reddy's body was brought to the state capital by an Air Force helicopter and taken in a funeral procession first to Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the Congress Party in Nampally, and then to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, where members of the public gathered to pay their respects.
Known as the "people's leader," Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, called YSR by supporters, was the architect of his party's comeback in Andhra Pradesh, winning the elections in 2004.
Setting the stage for the historic win, Reddy undertook a 64day "padayatra" across the state in 2003, receiving petitions from people over their numerous problems, mainly relating to agriculture and unemployment.
This outreach effort paid rich dividends and is credited with catapulting him to power.
His experiences during the tour helped him shape his policies after assuming office, as he implemented free electric power for farmers, waived their loans, introduced several welfare schemes such as pension for the aged, widows and handicapped, housing for poor, low-cost rice, a community health insurance scheme and a massive program to build irrigation projects.
Another key achievement was subduing the Naxalite insurgency in the state that had at one time gripped 21 of its 23 districts.
Reddy is credited with using the state's elite Greyhound commando force to quell the People's War Group (PWG), once the dominant Maoist group in India. The commandos work in small bands of 15-25 and are specially trained for deep forest pursuit and combat.
Last year, in the face of stiff competition from the Telugu Desam Party as well as the newly-formed Praja Rajyam Party of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, Reddy went on to win a second term.
A devout Christian, Reddy worked his way into the Congress leadership over the past three decades by taking up the cause of poor farmers and landless laborers. Perhaps his understanding of the common man's needs and his desire to reach out to ordinary people was influenced by his own modest beginnings. The eldest of five sons of Y.S. Raja Reddy, a dynamic local leader, Reddy was born in a middle-class family in Pulivendula.
As a youth, he opted to study medicine and graduated from the M.R. Medical College in Gulbarga, Karnataka. He worked as a medical officer at a local medical facility and went on to set up a charitable hospital.
He entered active politics in 1978 as a Congress Party member and was elected to the state Assembly from Pulivendula. He served as state minister from 1980 to 1983 and retained the assembly seat in 1983 even when the charismatic actor-turnedpolitician N.T. Rama Rao swept to power with a mammoth victory. In fact, Reddy is often compared to Rao in terms of his charisma and popular appeal.
Perhaps, sensing a potential leader in him, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed Reddy president of the state unit of the Congress Party he was only 34 at the time. In 1989, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Kadapa constituency and held the seat till 1999, when he shifted again to state politics.
From 1998 to 2000 he was president of the state Congress again.
Analysts believe Reddy's death could trigger a power struggle in the state Congress Party unit.
"He was one person who was keeping various groups together within the party and they will find it difficult to replace him and ultimately his absence could lead to a power struggle in the state," political commentator Kuldip Nayar said.
That could already be happening. K. Rosaiah, 77, the state finance minister and No. 2 in Reddy's Cabinet, has been sworn in as the acting chief minister, but state leaders and some federal lawmakers are calling for Reddy's son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, 36, a first-time federal lawmaker, to be appointed the new chief minister. The Congress is expected to decide on the issue at the end of the seven-day state mourning announced by the Cabinet.
Aside from his son, Reddy is survived by his widow, Vijaylakshmi, daughter Sharmila, son-in-law Anil Kumar and grandchildren, as well as extended family.
Meanwhile, investigators have begun examining the helicopter wreckage to determine the cause of the crash. The Civil Aviation Ministry has set up a four-member committee to probe the cause of the crash. The committee has been asked to complete its inquiry and submit its report within two months. R.K. Tyagi, chairman and managing director of Pawan Hans Helicopters, will head the committee, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement. The committee will also take the assistance of other experts from Indian Air Force wherever required, it said.
Reuters and the Indo-American News Service contributed to this report.
area.
The wreckage of the aircraft and the bodies were recovered Sept. 3. "The aircraft is broken up into several parts and is charred, the bodies are also charred," Home Minister P .
Chidambaram, who headed the search operation, said in New Delhi.
Reddy's body was brought to the state capital by an Air Force helicopter and taken in a funeral procession first to Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the Congress Party in Nampally, and then to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, where members of the public gathered to pay their respects.
Known as the "people's leader," Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, called YSR by supporters, was the architect of his party's comeback in Andhra Pradesh, winning the elections in 2004.
Setting the stage for the historic win, Reddy undertook a 64day "padayatra" across the state in 2003, receiving petitions from people over their numerous problems, mainly relating to agriculture and unemployment.
This outreach effort paid rich dividends and is credited with catapulting him to power.
His experiences during the tour helped him shape his policies after assuming office, as he implemented free electric power for farmers, waived their loans, introduced several welfare schemes such as pension for the aged, widows and handicapped, housing for poor, low-cost rice, a community health insurance scheme and a massive program to build irrigation projects.
Another key achievement was subduing the Naxalite insurgency in the state that had at one time gripped 21 of its 23 districts.
Reddy is credited with using the state's elite Greyhound commando force to quell the People's War Group (PWG), once the dominant Maoist group in India. The commandos work in small bands of 15-25 and are specially trained for deep forest pursuit and combat.
Last year, in the face of stiff competition from the Telugu Desam Party as well as the newly-formed Praja Rajyam Party of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, Reddy went on to win a second term.
A devout Christian, Reddy worked his way into the Congress leadership over the past three decades by taking up the cause of poor farmers and landless laborers. Perhaps his understanding of the common man's needs and his desire to reach out to ordinary people was influenced by his own modest beginnings. The eldest of five sons of Y.S. Raja Reddy, a dynamic local leader, Reddy was born in a middle-class family in Pulivendula.
As a youth, he opted to study medicine and graduated from the M.R. Medical College in Gulbarga, Karnataka. He worked as a medical officer at a local medical facility and went on to set up a charitable hospital.
He entered active politics in 1978 as a Congress Party member and was elected to the state Assembly from Pulivendula. He served as state minister from 1980 to 1983 and retained the assembly seat in 1983 even when the charismatic actor-turnedpolitician N.T. Rama Rao swept to power with a mammoth victory. In fact, Reddy is often compared to Rao in terms of his charisma and popular appeal.
Perhaps, sensing a potential leader in him, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed Reddy president of the state unit of the Congress Party he was only 34 at the time. In 1989, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Kadapa constituency and held the seat till 1999, when he shifted again to state politics.
From 1998 to 2000 he was president of the state Congress again.
Analysts believe Reddy's death could trigger a power struggle in the state Congress Party unit.
"He was one person who was keeping various groups together within the party and they will find it difficult to replace him and ultimately his absence could lead to a power struggle in the state," political commentator Kuldip Nayar said.
That could already be happening. K. Rosaiah, 77, the state finance minister and No. 2 in Reddy's Cabinet, has been sworn in as the acting chief minister, but state leaders and some federal lawmakers are calling for Reddy's son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, 36, a first-time federal lawmaker, to be appointed the new chief minister. The Congress is expected to decide on the issue at the end of the seven-day state mourning announced by the Cabinet.
Aside from his son, Reddy is survived by his widow, Vijaylakshmi, daughter Sharmila, son-in-law Anil Kumar and grandchildren, as well as extended family.
Meanwhile, investigators have begun examining the helicopter wreckage to determine the cause of the crash. The Civil Aviation Ministry has set up a four-member committee to probe the cause of the crash. The committee has been asked to complete its inquiry and submit its report within two months. R.K. Tyagi, chairman and managing director of Pawan Hans Helicopters, will head the committee, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement. The committee will also take the assistance of other experts from Indian Air Force wherever required, it said.
Reuters and the Indo-American News Service contributed to this report.