Hyderabad: Few official posts or political nominations in the Telugu states command the respect and sense of privilege as being a member of board for the holy temple of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). From the Prime Minister to chief ministers of different states, besides other important politicians, therefore, recommend names for consideration for post of member, TTD, to the Andhra Pradesh government.
This year, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has recommended two names, while Union home minister and BJP national president Amit Shah has recommended one name for consideration for TTD member posts.
The Telangana chief minister has recommended name of GV Bhaskar Rao, chairman of Kaveri Seeds, and Moramsetti Ramulu, TRS leader from Siddipet, to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for appointment as TTD board members. Union home minister Amit Shah has recommended the name of V Krishna Murthy, who was appointed as TTD member by the previous TD government regime also on the recommendation of Mr Shah.
Mr Murthy is an Indian civil servant from Tamil Nadu, and enjoy the sobriquet, ‘father of public sector undertakings’ in India. Mr Shah asked AP chief minister Mr Reddy to reappoint Mr Krishna Murthy into the TTD board.
The Andhra Pradesh government is likely to issue orders constituting the TTD board in a day or two. Former MP Y.V. Subba Reddy was appointed as the TTD chairman a month ago but the board was not constituted.
According to sources close to Jagan Mohan Reddy, N.Srinivasan, managing director, India Cements, from Tamil Nadu is likely to be made a member. Mr Reddy has also decided to offer two members for the TTD board to other states, with both Karnataka and Maharashtra getting one member each.
Meanwhile, chief minister and YSRC party chief has decided to nominate YSRC leaders including Velagapalli Varaprasada Rao, MLA, Gudur, who formerly represented the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency, Uppalapati Venkata Ramanamurthy Raju (‘Kannababu’), MLA, Yelamanchili and Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy, MLA, Kakinada, as members to the TTD board.
In addition to the two names recommended by the Telangana chief minister, Mr Reddy may also appoint K Sivakumar, secretary of Telangana unit of the YSR Congress party. It is of interest that Mr Sivakumar had has registered the YSR Congress party, which was later acquired by Mr Reddy.
Ms. Vemuri Prashanthi Reddy, wife of Vemuri Prabhakar Reddy, YSRC MP, would also be appointed as a TTD member. The state government can appoint a total of 18 people as members of the TTD board, including officials.
