Political Diary

Chief Minister K Rosaiah seems to be reconciled to the fact that he might not continue in the post for a long time and would have to pave way, most probably to Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

Though he might have the ambition of holding the CM post for some more time, Rosaiah is taking every care that it does not reflect either in his face or his words. He is very choosy in making statements on this issue.

’’I am also unable to digest the tragic death of our beloved YSR who will not want his followers to end their lives’’, he said in a statement here.

Expressing shock over reports about suicides and deaths due to heart attack of the well wishers, he said, ’’don’t resort to such extreme steps’’.

’’We should all work hard to finish the left over tasks of YSR to seek his blessings wherever he is now,’’ he added.

Schools, colleges, offices, shops and businesses reopened after 48 hours while public transport returned to the roads.

But the state was still reeling under the shock of Wednesday’s death of YSR, as the charismatic chief minister was popularly known, as well as two officials and the two pilots of the Bell 430 helicopter.

The chopper was on its way from Hyderabad to Chittoor when it crashed and exploded on a hillock in a forest in Kurnool district in poor weather Wednesday.

The wreckage and the bodies were found only Thursday morning. YSR was laid to rest Friday in his native Kadapa district.

In Kadapa and other parts of Rayalaseema region, millions of supporters were still mourning the loss of their leader who had led the Congress to a spectacular win in assembly elections in May.

Over 100 people died of shock or committed suicide since Thursday after coming to know about the death, according to Telugu media reports. Police have not confirmed these reported deaths.

Although life was returning to normalcy, the mood across Andhra Pradesh remained sombre amid a seven-day state mourning.

The ruling Congress party leaders are holding condolence meetings in almost every town and village to pay tributes to the man who was the chief minister for over five years -- and had just begun his second term.

In Hyderabad and other major towns, educational institutions re-opened after two days. Buses of state-owned Road Transport Corp, taxis and auto-rickshaws returned to the roads.

Police found the cockpit voice recorder, popularly known as Black Box, last evening.

The Black Box will be handed over to the five-member inquiry committee, appointed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The DGCA team is likely to visit the crash site today and has been asked to submit the report within two months.

Police at Athmakur had registered a case of the crash following the death of Reddy, his Special Secretary P Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley and both the pilots, Group Captain S K Bhatia and Capt M S Reddy under section 174 of the IPC.

The ill-fated helicopter had taken off from Begumpet airport at 0835 hrs on September 2, carrying the Chief Minister and four others for the first leg of ’Rachachabanda’ tour for a direct conversation with the villagers in Chittoor district and lost radio contact at 0902 hrs on the same day. The crash was located the next morning.

According to sources, the chopper was cleared to fly at 5,000 feet, but had been flying at 3,000 feet and served about 18 km away from its flight path before it crashed due to adverse weather condition into the hillock in the midst of the dense Nallamala forest.

The bodies of the Chief Minister and four others were retrieved when commandos were air dropped on the inaccessible crash site after a night-long operation, the biggest search undertaken jointly by the State and the Central Governments.

Mohan Babu went to Idupulapaya to pay his last respects to the departed leader. The road to Idupulaapaya was almost closed for traffic with laksh of supporters and their vehicles stranded on the road.

There was not an inch space left at Idupulapaya Estate as large crowds from all over the state moved in, to bid good bye to their beloved leader late Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, who was died in the Chopper crash two days ago.

There was a time when it becomes very difficult for YSR family members to approach the vehicle on which the body of the late YSR kept. Finally, somehow they were helped to board the vehicle with great difficulty. T.Subbi Rami Reddy, Central Minister Gulam Nabi Ajad, DGP. S.S.Yadav and many others presence on the already-jam packed-vehicle made very much inconvenience for the YSR Family members. Somehow, Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy s/o late leader managed to stand in the congested vehicle and seen with folded hands as a gesture of ‘Namaskaram’ to the people who came to bid fare well.

Finally, the late Chief Minister Y.S.Rajashekar Reddy body was cremated with due respects around 5.15 PM at his Idupulapaya Estate, as he wished earlier. His family members and Interim Chief Minister of the state K.Rosaiah, and many others paid rich tributes the great leader.

The failure of the Police in controlling the crowds clearly showed its impact on the ceremony. Women and Children of YSR family suffered a lot with uncontrolled crowds. People swarmed all the places leaving no space for YSR family members to conduct the final rituals peacefully.

The MLAs have so far managed to gather the signature of 120 MLAs and are in the process of enlisting support of all the MPs too. The MLAs planned for a meeting to pay homage to YSR and also pass a resolution urging the party high command to make Jagan as CM.

The AICC has warned the legislators not to go ahead with the ‘make Jagan CM’ campaign. The party top brass asked the MLAs to just conduct a condolence meting in memory of YS Rajashekar Reddy.