Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was born on 21 December 1972 in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh to Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Y. S. Vijayamma. He went to The Hyderabad Public School, upto 12th grade. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He married Bharathi Reddy on 28 August 1996, the couple has two daughters. He has a younger sister, Y. S. Sharmila, who is also a politician.
Political career
Jaganmohan Reddy's father YS Rajasekhara Reddy popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, serving from 2004 to 2009. Jaganmohan started his political career campaigning for Indian National Congress during the 2004 elections in Kadapa District. In 2009, Jaganmohan was elected as Member of Parliament from Kadapa constituency.
Post YSR's death
Following the death of his father in Sep 2009, Jaganmohan started his earnest efforts to take up the political legacy left by his father. Following YSR's death, the majority of the legislators favored Jaganmohan to be appointed as the Chief Minister. Sonia Gandhi, party chief of the Indian National Congress and her son Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary did not agree to this. Six months after his father's death, he began an odarpu yatra 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.
On 29 November 2010, he resigned, after a fallout with the Congress party high command. He announced on 7 December 2010 from Pulivendula that he would be starting a new party within 45 days. In March 2011, he announced his party name at Jagganapeta of East Godavari district. Later, his party went to by polls in YSR Kadapa district and won almost all the seats with a huge majority.
2011 by-election success
Jagan, as the president of YSR Congress, faced by-election from the Kadapa constituency and won by a large margin of 545,043 votes.
2012 disproportionate assets case
The Central Bureau of Investigation has disclosed that Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, popularly known as Jagan, accepted Rs 1,172 crore from various investors as bribe and in turn helped them get favours from the state government. The favours are mainly land, mining leases and licences for new industries. Jagan, Member of Parliament from Kadapa and late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's son, was arrested by the investigating agency on 27 May in connection with a disproportionate assets case. A CBI special court in Hyderabad on 28 May remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. He remained in the Chanchalguda Central Prison till 11 June.
Other Congress ministers arrested for issuing orders
In March 2012, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to extend their investigations to six ministers, and eight senior bureaucrats, who were implicated in issuing 26 Government orders that helped the companies investing in Jagan's firms. Andhra Excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana was arrested on 24 May 2012. CBI also summoned BCCI chief N Srinivasan on 7 June 2012. As a sequel to allegations that CBI had selectively released information to the press to tarnish the image of Jaganmohan Reddy, the Central Vigilance Commissioner sought a report on the matter from the investigating agency.
Charges of political vendetta
The YSR Congress and Jagan's family have been alleging a political conspiracy behind Jagan's investigations. BJP has noted that CBI has been pursuing this case with greater vigour than that of government-aligned politicians with similar charges such as Sushil Kumar Shinde or Vilasrao Deshmukh.
While in jail, Reddy started a hunger strike opposing the United Progressive Alliance's decision to endorse the creation of a separate Telangana state. After 125 hours of indefinite hunger strike, his sugar levels and blood pressure were down. He was moved to Osmania General Hospital for treatment. His mother, MLA Vijayamma, was also on hunger strike protesting the formation of Telangana out of AP. After his release, Reddy called for a 72-hour bandh protesting the formation of Telangana. Both Jagan and his mother resigned from their legislatures opposing the decision favoring the formation of Telangana
2014 Election Defeat
In 2014, the YSR Congress Party, was a pre-poll favourite among most analysts and psephologists. But, the YSRCP lost the 2014 elections, winning only 67 of 175 seats in the state assembly, with 45% of vote share. In the 2014 election, the Telugu Desam Party vote share went up to 47% and the 2% gap led to the defeat of YSRCP.
PrajaSankalpaYatra - Padayatra of more than 3,648 km
Leader of the Opposition in Assembly and YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched his 3,000-km-long walkathon named PrajaSankalpaYatra on 6 November 2017. The YSRC chief launched his ‘Praja Sankalpa Padayatra’ at RK Valley in his native Kadapa district after paying homage at the grave of his father.YSR Congress party coined a slogan "Raavali Jagan, Kaavali Jagan" for the foot march that took to him across 125 Assembly segments in 13 districts of the state in 430 days. This Yatra was started on 6 November 2017 and ended on 9 January 2019.
Knife Attack
Jagan Mohan Reddy while boarding a Flight to Hyderabad was attacked with a cock fighting knife in the VIP Lounge of Visakhapatnam Airport on 25 October 2018. He received an injury on shoulder and had to undergo a surgery.
2019 Election Win & Chief Ministership
In the 2019 National and State election held in April–May 2019, YSR Congress Party swept the polls and won 151 of the total 175 assembly seats and 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in AP. He took oath as Chief Minister on 30 May 2019.
