TDP cadre eagerly waiting for nominated posts
Tirupati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's assurance that all temple trust boards and market committees across the State would be constituted before June has not materialised, leaving several key posts in the erstwhile Chittoor district vacant.
Aspirants who were promised recognition for their loyalty and efforts during the previous YSRCP rule are growing increasingly restless, as their hopes remain unfulfilled months after the NDA took power.
The Srikalahasti Devasthanam Trust Board's tenure ended in March, and since then, the temple, known for its Rs 120-crore annual budget, has been functioning under the sole control of its Executive Officer. Despite earlier resolutions regarding infrastructure upgrades and festival plans, a new board has not been appointed.
A similar situation prevails in Kanipakam, where the previous trust board resigned after the new government took charge in June 2024. The delay has hampered daily administration and festival preparations, with temporary decisions now being made by the EO.
Other temples, particularly folk shrines such as Tataiahgunta Gangamma in Tirupati and Boyakonda Gangamma in Chowdepalle, also remain without trust boards. In the absence of formal appointments, political influence has begun to dominate temple affairs, with decisions reportedly being made based on proximity to Ministers rather than official structures.
Besides these there are several other temples under the Endowments Department which are yet to get the nominated bodies. In addition to temple appointments, several market committee chairmanships across the district are also pending, adding to the cadre's frustration.
On the political front, key organisational appointments within the TDP are yet to be finalised. The party is expected to announce new presidents for Tirupati and Chittoor parliamentary constituencies, as well as for the crucial Tirupati Assembly constituency and other constituencies. It has to be seen whether the current parliamentary presidents, G Narasimha Yadav (now chairman of the State Yadava Corporation) and CR Rajan (appointed to the Vanniyakula Kshatriya Corporation) will be continued in dual roles or be replaced with new faces.
Similarly, Tirupati constituency president M Sugunamma, who has been appointed chairperson of the AP Greenery and Beautification Corporation, is widely expected to make way for a new leader at the city-level party post.
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