YSR's fate uncertain, search continues

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddys fate appeared uncertain on Wednesday night 12 hours after a helicopter carrying him went missing even as a Sukhoi SU30MKI combat jet of the Indian Air Force IAF and a lowflying aircraft of the National Remote Sensing Agency NRSA began search operations continued till late into the nightThe army the air force and paramilitary forces as also the police and civil authorities were continuing the massive search operations through the nightAfter the search by eight helicopters was called off after sunset the SU30MKI combat joined the special NRSA aircraft in continuing the search through the nightThe SU30 has night vision capabilities while the NRSA aircraft can fly at a height of 125 km and scam an area of 250 sq km at a timeDue to its better imagery and night vision capabilities a Su30 MKI has been pressed into service It can look through the cloud and foliage cover in the area an IAF spokesman said in New DelhiFour helicopters had been deployed today Wednesday for the rescue mission The search has been called off due to bad light and the choppers will again hit the skies at first light tomorrow Thursday the spokesman addedAndhra Pradesh Chief Secretary P Ramakant Reddy told reporters in Hyderabad that the chief ministers helicopter was last seen by some villagers between 915 am and 930 am between Atmakur and Bandi Atmakur in Kurnool district After 945 am we lost radio contact It is presumed that from Kurnool it was crossing the Nallamalla forests towards Prakasam district he addedHe said the army had joined the search operations on the ground About 5000 paramilitary personnel were also heading towards the forests Since Nallamalla is considered a Maoist stronghold the elite Greyhounds antiMaoist force along with Andhra Pradesh special police and state police personnel are conducting the search operationsThe chopper carrying YSR as the 60yearold chief minister is known his special secretary Subrahmanyam his chief security officer A S C Wesley and two pilots took off 835 am from Hyderabad and was headed for Chittoor 588 km away and close to Tamil NaduLet us hope for the best Let us pray for the best Home Minister P Chidambaram said in New Delhi of the rescue operationsA sombre Chidamabaram said the search by the IAF was called off late in the evening because of the weather and failing light but said the manual search for the chopper would go on at least for a few hours before resuming at first lightForest and revenue department officials had conducted searches in Kurnool district Chidambaram said adding We are keeping our fingers crossed The police and paramilitary forces are moving towards that point Perhaps they would be able to do a search for a couple of hours at least then we will have to wait first light tomorrowEven as rescuers combed the forest range officials reluctantly admitted that the missing helicopter had not renewed its airworthiness certificate for two years Experts denounced the shocking revelationPresident Pratibha Patil now in Moscow Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed concern over YSRs fateHis disappearance has caused concern in the Congress where YSR is highly regarded both for his administrative acumen and political skills He is also credited with crushing the Maoist movement in Andhra Pradesh a longtime ultraLeft bastionIn a sign of desperation chief secretary Ramakant Reddy urged anyone who got to know anything to contact the policeSo far we have not been able to get any confirmation about the chief minister It is possible that because of the strong winds and heavy rains it the helicopter may have landed in some unfamiliar area Ramakant Reddy said adding If you land in an unfamiliar forested area getting out will be very difficultHe urged people living in the forested region to kindly help us If you get any signal any reliable information contact the nearest police stationWith no word on YSRs whereabouts thousands of emotive supporters gathered at the Congress office in Hyderabad Scores prayed for his safety in temples mosques and churches in the stateAt the state secretariat the crowds shouted Long live YSR and termed him a friend of the poor Security personnel had a tough time controlling the crowdsA doctor by training YSR is one of the most influential leaders in the Congress after again leading the party to a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in AprilMay this yearElected to the state assembly for the fifth time YSR is also a fourtime Lok Sabha MP and holds the record of never losing an election He is the first Congress chief minister to rule Andhra Pradesh for five years and then retain office