Name: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy, popularly known as Y.S. Jagan, is a prominent Indian politician serving as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Jagan's early life was steeped in political influence, being the son of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a known in Andhra Pradesh politics. Educated at The Hyderabad Public School and later at Pragathi Mahavidyalaya in Hyderabad, Jagan's formative years were a mix of traditional education and an understanding of politics. He founded the Telugu daily newspaper Sakshi and the television channel Sakshi TV.
Jagan's political entry was marked by his election as a Member of Parliament from Kadapa in 2009, representing the Indian National Congress. His political career, however, took a pivotal turn following the tragic death of his father in a helicopter crash the same year. This event was a personal loss and a watershed moment that steered his subsequent political journey.
In the aftermath of his father's death, Jagan embarked on the Odarpu Yatra, a consoling tour across Andhra Pradesh, which was both a personal mission and a political statement. This tour laid the groundwork for his empathetic and people-centric political image. However, it also set the stage for his eventual departure from the Congress party, highlighting his growing discontent with the party leadership and his ambition to carve out an independent political path.
In 2011, Jagan established the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), named in homage to his father's initials. Later his party went to by-polls in Kadapa district and won by a huge majority.
In the 2014 elections, YSRCP lost and he became the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. In 2018 he was attacked with a knife in the Airport lounge and had to undergo surgery.
In the 2019 National and State elections, YSR Congress Party swept the polls and he took oath as the Chief Minister on May 30, 2019.
He scrapped the plans for a new capital at Amravati proposed by the former TDP government and has proposed three different capitals for the judicial, administrative, and legislative branches at Kurnool, Amravati, and Vishakhapatnam respectively. The proposal resulted in a widespread protest, so the Andhra Pradesh High Court in a March 2022 ruling directed the Government of Andhra Pradesh to continue developing Amravati.
