New Delhi, Sep 4 - Was Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy one of India's most popular leaders in terms of crowd appeal? If the turnout for his funeral, the public display of emotion by thousands and the number of people in Andhra Pradesh who have died of shock or committed suicide is an indication, then it would appear so.

There have been instances of grief-stricken supporters ending their lives after the deaths or misfortunes of their political idols, particularly of cinema stars turned politicians. But no political leader's death in recent times has triggered such a wave of emotion.

There was mass hysteria in Tamil Nadu, for instance, after then chief minister M.G. Ramachandran was taken to the US in 1984 for treatment. Many people attempted self-immolation. His death three years later sparked an inexplicable frenzy of looting and rioting all over the state that left 23 people dead, says a posting on his site www.puratchithalaivar.org.

Besides, 30 people committed suicide and lakhs had their heads tonsured, said the site.

In 1984, eight people killed themselves after Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao was toppled by his finance minister N. Bhaskar Rao.

Unlike Rajasekhara Reddy, known as YSR, MGR and NTR were not just politicians but also hugely popular screen stars who had been elevated to the status of virtual demigods.

'However, YSR's death is different as he did not have an actor's label. He was a truly a people's leader and endeared himself to the masses, identified with their cause and did a lot for farmers to lift them from the agrarian crisis,' Rama Brahman, head of political science in Hyderabad University, told IANS on telephone.

'Going by the initiatives he launched in 2004, he altered the policy agenda for governance.