By IANS,
New Delhi : Stunned and shocked by the sudden death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Thursday said he was a man with a vision, courage and dynamism and inspired people from all walks of life.
“He had a natural feel for politics as also an instinctive command of governance,” said the condolence resolution passed by the CWC, the highest-decision making forum of the Congress, that met at the party headquarters here.
“He played a pivotal role in the revival of the Congress party in the state after it has been in the opposition for almost 10 years. His indefatigable campaigning across the state secured a decisive mandate for the Congress party in the 2004 assembly elections.”
It said he used this mandate “purposefully to impart a whole new direction to the state’s development with an extraordinary emphasis on programmes for the welfare of farmers, irrigation, social security schemes for the weaker sections of society, women’s self-help groups, health and nutrition”.
“It was this outstanding record of achievements under his leadership that returned the Congress party to power in his state for a second term in May 2009. This also contributed to our remarkable victory in the Lok Sabha elections 2009,” it said.
In the April-May Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had won 33 of the 42 seats from the state, while in 2004 it had 29 seats. In 1999, the party had just five seats.
“He was a man of vision, courage and dynamism. He was a man of the people. He connected with and inspired people from all walks of life but particularly the poor, the underprivileged and the disadvantaged,” the CWC said.
“His untimely passing is a tremendous loss to the party, the state and the country,” it added.
Sharing pain and anguish with his family, the CWC conveyed its deepest condolences to its members.
The CWC also expressed its “deep-felt” condolences to the families of the chief minister’s special secretary P. Subrahmanyam, Group Captain S.K. Bhatia, co-pilot Reddy and chief security officer A.C.S. Wesley, who were travelling with him when the chopper crashed.