Early Life
Early Life
Early Life
Jagan or mononymously Jagan, is an Indian politician serving as the current chief minister of
Andhra Pradesh. He is the founder and president of the Indian political party, YSR Congress
Party (YSRCP). He is also the son of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, former Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh.
Jagan Mohan Reddy started his political career in the Indian National Congress and was elected
as the Member of Parliament of Kadapa in 2009.[1] After his father's death due to helicopter
crash in 2009, he started Odarpu Yatra (a consoling tour) across the state.[2] He then eventually
came out of the Congress Party and established his own party, YSR Congress Party which also
matches his father's acronym, YSR.[3]
In 2014 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, YSRCP won 67 seats and he became
the Leader of the Opposition. [4] Five years later, in 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
elections, he led the party to a landslide victory in the state elections by winning 151 seats of the
total 175 assembly segments.[5]
Early life
Jagan Mohan Reddy was born in Christian Reddy family in Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district of
Andhra Pradesh to Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Y. S. Vijayamma.[6][7] Reddy has a younger
sister, Y. S. Sharmila, who is also a politician.[8]
He studied at The Hyderabad Public School up to 12th grade.[7] Tollywood actor Sumanth Kumar
Yarlagadda was his best friend at school.[9] He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree[6]
[7]
from Pragathi Mahavidyalaya Degree and PG college,[image 1] Ram Koti, Hyderabad.[10]
Reddy married Bharathi on 28 August 1996.[6][7] The couple has two daughters, the elder of whom
studied undergraduate in London.[6][7]
Business ventures
Reddy first acquired Sandur Power Company Limited (SPCL), a defunct power project from its
original promoter M B Ghorpade in 2001.[11] SPCL later invested crores of rupees in other
companies and could acquire more businesses. It is headed by his wife, Y. S. Bharathi. [12] Reddy
sold his shares in SPCL and moved away from his active direct businesses as he got more
involved in politics.[citation needed]
Political career
Reddy's father Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, was a two-time chief minister
of Andhra Pradesh, serving from 2004 to 2009. He started his political career campaigning
for Indian National Congress during the 2004 elections in Kadapa district.[13] In 2009, he was
elected as Member of Parliament from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.[13]
Following the death of his father in September 2009, he started efforts to take up the political
legacy left by his father. The majority of the legislators favoured him to be appointed as the Chief
Minister, but this choice was not approved by party leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
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.[14]