Mourners pay last respect as YSR's body reaches hometown

The body of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was flown on Friday afternoon to Pulivendula, his native town in Kadapa district, for burial.

The body was flown in an army helicopter from Begumpet airport here after thousands of people paid their last respects at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in the state capital.

YSR, who died in a chopper crash Wednesday, will be laid to rest at the family estate Edupulapaya in Pulivendula town by the side of his parents.

A stampede at the stadium forced authorities to move the body to the airport an hour before schedule. Police failed to control the surging mourners, who broke barricades at several points to rush towards the body kept on a pedestal in the middle of the ground.

Several people were injured, some of them seriously, as police used force to control the crowds. As the situation was going out of control, the late leader's son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had a word with military and police officers to shift the body to the airport.

67 die after YSR's death, bereaved son appeals for patience

More than 60 people across Andhra Pradesh have died of shock or committed suicide after the death of their chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, prompting his MP son Y S Jagannathan Reddy to appeal to his late father's admirers to be patient and brave.

"I appeal to all of you to be patient and be brave in this hour of tragedy. He (YSR) wanted to see a smile on the faces of all and if you resort to such things (suicide) this will hurt him," said Jaganmohan, trying to hard to control his tears.

"I request you not to commit suicide," said Jaganmohan, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Kadapa in recent elections and is being seen by many as the next chief minister.

The appeal before the camera was telecast on all Telugu television channels.

Telugu television channels estimated that 67 people died of shock on hearing the news of their leader's death in a horrific air crash Thursday or committed suicide, unable to bear the loss. Most of those who died of shock were watching news of YSR's death on television.

This is the first time in the state's history that such a large number of people have died over the death of any political leader.

YSR, as the late leader was popularly known, has surpassed in death the popularity of actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao who died in 1996.

A large number of those who died of shock included young supporters of YSR and the beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes launched by him in the last five years. They suffered a cardiac arrest following the news of the chief minister's death in the helicopter crash.

The deaths were reported from 19 out of 23 districts in the state. In the coastal district of West Godavari, six people died of shock and four committed suicide.

"YSR dedicated his life to people, I am dedicating my life to him," a youth wrote in his suicide note before consuming pesticide.

A physically handicapped couple, who were getting monthly pension under a welfare scheme, attempted suicide by jumping into the Godavari river but were saved by fishermen.

In Hyderabad, 42-year-old Yadgiri died of shock while watching news of YSR's death on television. M Srinivas, 30, suffered cardiac arrest.

YSR's last journey begins

The funeral procession of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who was killed in a helicopter crash, has begun. The public will pay last respect to him at Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium before the state funeral takes place at 5.00pm today at Kadappa.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and a host of party leaders today paid homage to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy this morning.

The Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Defence Minister A K Antony and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit placed wreaths on Reddy's body at the Chief Minister's Camp office in Begumpet area.

The leaders also wrote condolence messages at the camp office. The leaders arrived here early this morning by a special flight..

Andhra cabinet wants YSR's son as next chief minister

Within hours of the death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash, the state cabinet passed a resolution urging the Congress party's central leadership to make his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy the next chief minister.

The cabinet meeting, presided over by caretaker Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, passed the resolution demanding that Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy be named successor to his father.

Ministers loyal to Rajasekhara Reddy were unanimous that the young MP should be made the next chief minster. This will be a real tribute to YSR, said minister of health D. Nagender.

The resolution was passed amid reports that over 100 legislators of the ruling party are supporting the demand. The legislators also met Union Minister for law and incharge of party affairs in the state M. Veerappa Moily to submit a memorandum.

Some Congress legislators also met Praja Rajyam Party president K. Chiranjeevi to request him to support Jaganmohan Reddy's candidature.

The Congress party has 155 members in the 294-member assembly.

A group of MPs also held a meeting here and decided to place their demand before Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

According to sources in the ruling party, the legislators have launched a campaign to demand that Jaganmohan be appointed the chief minister.

Jaganmohan's loyalists among party workers too have launched a campaign in this regard. Some workers sitting outside Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters in the city, said they would not accept anybody other than YSR's son to head the state government.

'When Indira Gandhi expired Rajiv Gandhi was made the prime minister. Why not Jagan be made chief minister now?' says an SMS message being circulated by Jaganmohan's followers.

Jaganmohan, an industrialist who runs the Sakshi daily and a television channel, was elected from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency in the April-May elections.

YSR was killed in a chopper crash while travelling to Chittoor from Hyderabad in inclement weather Wednesday. The mangled remains of the helicopter and the bodies of the chief minister and four others accompanying him were located Thursday morning in the Nallamalla jungles.