AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy had a great respect for the departed leader Pranab Mukherjee. Jagan used to call him ‘uncle’. Pranab was also very close to YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Hence, the YSR family’s long standing friendly relations with the late former President. Jagan Reddy respected Pranab Dada so much that he took special permission from the jail authorities and voted for Pranad when he ran for the President’s post. That was despite the strong differences Jagan Reddy had for the Congress party at that time.

What more, Pranab was responsible for making Kiran Kumar Reddy the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Actually, Jagan Reddy was bitterly against Kiran Kumar considering the fact that he himself wanted to become the CM. Pranab Mukherjee had no choice but to persuade the warring groups within the Congress at that time to make Kiran Kumar the new CM at that time.

Moreover, Jagan Reddy was totally against the bifurcation of AP into two separate states. In this respect also, Pranab Mukherjee in his capacity as the President of India at that time, had to sign the AP Reorganisation Bill. As a senior Parliamentarian and a leader close to AP leaders, Pranab was also involved in the formation of separate Telangana. Way back in 2004 itself, Pranab led a 3-member national level committee to study the Telangana issue. That committee did not submit any report due to lack of unanimity. However, after 2010 again, Pranab held meetings again on Telangana issue. Even KCR and KTR were full of praise for the role Pranab has played in the formation of Telangana.