"Don`t count the years you want to live. Ask yourself how much you have done for society at large with whatever opportunities the Almighty has provided you"-- is the words from Dr. Reddy for those who have excuses for not doing the means within them. As Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy strongly believes that the human life is a blessing provided by the Almighty to share one`s blessings with others, while serving less privileged human beings. This eminent persona, Dr.Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy is the ongoing Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He is the member of the Indian National Congress and he was selected from the Pulivendula Assembly Constituency of Kadapa District to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. In May 2004, he was sworn as the Chief Minister. He is popularly known as the Y.S.R. This sharp politician and a charismatic mass leader has carved a niche for himself in State politics by his consummate dedication and allegiance to the upliftment of the downtrodden and neglected segments of society.

On 8th July 1949, a dynamic leader in his halcyon days, Reddy was born to late Sri Y.S.Raja Reddy in a small town in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, Pulivendula. He is the second of five brothers. Traditionally the Reddy family have been large land-owners in southern Andhra Pradesh but made its fortunes in the 1970s and 1980s mining barite, an industrial mineral used in the oil industry. According to the mother of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, it was his grandfather who was converted by a British missionary, Father Rolls. The family was kicked out by the local community of the village. When in 1947, the Church of South India was formed and they began to attend the Church Services.

Right from his student days Rajasekhara Reddy showed interest in politics. He served as President of the Students union while studying in M R Medical College, Gulbarga, Karnataka. He was elected leader of the House Surgeon`s Association in S V Medical College, Tirupati. In the year 1971, YSR was married to Smt. Vijayalakshmi and the couple has a son, Jagan Mohan Reddy and a daughter, Sharmila. Y S Vivekananda Reddy, an elected Lok Sabha member for Congress representing Cuddapah district is the brother of YSR.

For a brief period, he served as Medical Officer at the Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital after finishing MBBS in the Diocese of Nandyal. Named after his father late Y.S.Raja Reddy, in 1973, at Pulivendula, he established a 70-bed charitable hospital. To date the hospital continues to serve the poor. One polytechnic and one degree college in Pulivendula, was established by his family, which were later handed over to the well-known Loyola group of institutions. Sound business insight, entrepreneurial skills, and, above all, his transparency brought Rajasekhara Reddy to the glory in the business arena.

YSR entered active politics in 1978 and stood for the elections. He groomed in a family that is deeply involved in public service. He contested four times elections to enter the State Legislative Assembly and an equal number of times to enter the Lower House of Parliament. He is a man who wins in all that he does. YSR won all the elections he contested. His admirers exclaim even today: "He (YSR) defeats defeat." To date Reddy has an eventful 25-year political career and he started this career as samithi president and later served as a youth congress leader. At the age of 28, he won the ensuring elections in the year 1978 on the Indian National Congress ticket. For a brief period he served as minister in Tanguturi Anjaiah cabinet. Then the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi intrusted this potential leader with Pradesh Congress Committee president only at the age of 34. For four times Dr. Reddy represented Kadapa contstituency as Member of Parliament of India and as Member of legislative assembly of Andhra Pradesh, similar number of times from Pulivendula constituency. The timeline of his political career unfurls the fact that Reddy has never lost a single election.

With his stentorian voice and as a champion of the masses, he raised voice to the voiceless millions, forced the Government to retrace several anti-people steps it contemplated, in the assembly. While bringing out issues facing peasants, weavers, Dalits, youth and women, YSR has played instrumental role in planning several mass struggles. He unyieldingly fights for the approval of awaiting irrigation projects, particularly in the backward Rayalaseema region. This has earned for him a special place in the hearts of millions of farmers. In the name of "reforms", he continuously struggles against certain anti-people economic measures that were sought to be introduced that include the frequent increases in power tariff and unsystematic privatization of public sector units. This dignified him far above the street-smart politicians.

Even as a beginner in the legislature, on the demand of the solution to the water crisis YSR rallied all the Congress MLAs from the Rayalaseema region and led an indefinite hunger strike. He also took up padayatra for 64 days that stretched to an extent of 1500 km from Chevella in the Telengana to Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district in the summer of 2003. In order to protest against the hike in power charges, under his leadership the 14-day hunger strike of legislators in August 2000 took place. His Yatra brought him close to the poor and rural people as it was well received across all the sections.

After taking oath as chief minister he alotted a large share to the agriculture sector. In that issue some of his decisions has become controversial like free power to farmers. His policies always centered on defending agriculture by giving sops to small and marginalized farmers, along with building up new infrastructure. During the first two years of his tenure a large sum of Rs.16000 Crore were being spent for building irrigation projects. A new face-lift with a pro-poor and pro-farmer as well as investor-friendly and mainly rural oriented policies were given to Andhra Pradesh by Dr. Reddy.

As an election promise to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh, he has implimented `Jalayagnam` to double the area under irrigation in five years. The project comprises a number of irrigation projects, construction of new reservoirs and lift irrigation systems, and through canals to divert water from major rivers. This project also included connecting of the two main rivers like the Krishna and the Godavari. A Special Package of Relief & Rehabilitation has announced by the state government for the distressed farmers. The State government has also set up a lot number of projects aiming at economic empowerment of farmers, " Agricultural Technology Mission" (ATM) with effect from 15 January 2006 is one of the main projects out of a lot many. On 30th March 2006, Reddy has also launched a programme namely Indiramma programme - `an acronym for Integrated Development in Rural Areas and Model Municipal Areas, seeking to achieve integrated development of the State`. The Government would build roads, construct houses and classrooms, and take up other development programmes under this project. The grant of IIT to the state was also announced by him amongst the cheers of members in the state assembly. In bringing the US consulate to Hyderabad, he was also successful. Amongst a befuddling number of apostates among politicians, who flourish in "shifting loyalties", YSR stands out as an authentic example of the old guard in pristine Indian politics. As Chief Minister, he can pompously claim to be the personification of a politician who, with vision focused on the coming generations as well, has earned the title of a statesman.

Dr.Reddy reflects the spirit of a true Indian who walks his talk. His thought is dressed with all that is modern and dignifying. YSR as a demanding Chief Minister expects bureaucrats to do their job particularly, and present before him only facts that are sheared of all publicity-oriented and scheming figures. It is his humane principle that impelled him to take revolutionary steps to guarantee delivery of social security pensions to the needy in the first week of every month. The ultimate objective of any program that carried out under a democratic set-up should be prompt and dependable delivery of services to the common man - this is the motto of Dr. Reddy. Dr.Reddy wanted to balance the approach towards giving thrust to information technology, biotechnology and all sectors that enhance industrial and agricultural production.