YSR was first elected to the assembly in 1978.
In 1983, he was re-elected from Pulivendla, Cuddapah. Rajiv Gandhi appointed him state Congress president -- the youngest in Congress history.
The aggressive YSR has another side as well. He is a disciplinarian and is both health and hygiene conscious. He is also particular about yoga and meditation. A former sportsperson -- he was a weightlifter in his student days -- he firmly believes in the idiom, 'A sound soul in a sound body.'
He enjoys reading fiction in the little spare time he gets; his favourite author is Mario Puzo, who wrote the hugely popular bestseller The Godfather. Now, he often complains to friends that he finds it increasingly difficult to steal a few quiet moments to read.
YSR addresses a public rally soon after he became the state Congress chief.