It is confirmed now that one of the most prominent politician Y.S.R Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh state, died in air crash when their helicopter crashed in the dense jungles of southern India during a rainstorm. Officially home minister P Chidambaram has formally announced this today morning.

YSR Reddy and for others lost contact with air traffic controllers Wednesday morning as heavy rains pelted the region, resulting in a massive 24-hour search operation involving the army, air force and police in an area infested with Maoist rebels.

"The aircraft is broken up into several parts and is charred, the bodies are also charred," Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said in New Delhi.

Y.S.R. Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state, helped engineer the Congress party-led coalition's victory in a general election in May. His state is home to many IT firms and outsourcing businesses, important elements of India's growing and globalising economy.

The helicopter was traced 24 hours after it went missing in the dense Nallamalla forests in Kurnool district. The helicopter, carrying the chief minister, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots, took off from Hyderabad at 8.35 a.m. Wednesday for Chittoor district. Around 9.45 a.m., the chopper lost contact with air traffic control.