Rosaiah proved his mettle on the day YSR’s chopper went missing

Officials recall how former Andhra CM took charge of situation

In the over six decades of his chequered political innings, veteran Congress leader and faced his ultimate nerve-wracking challenge on the day when the then Chief Minister went missing less than an hour after taking off from Begumpet airport on September 2, 2009.

Tension was palpable at the Secretariat as officials and others desperately made efforts to know the whereabouts of the Chief Minister’s helicopter. Officials and Congress leaders who rushed to the C Block of the Secretariat after learning about the missing chopper recalled how Rosaiah took charge of the situation when everyone was clueless about the well-being of Reddy.

A top official told The Hindu that after Reddy’s Bell 430 Helicopter failed to land in Chittoor district, a senior staff member of the Chief Minister’s Office called all Ministers and senior officials.