The latest controversy over the alleged adulteration of Tirumala laddu during the previous regime is learnt to have made Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu have rethinking on the constitution of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board, which has been lying vacant for over 100 days.
According to sources, Naidu had more or less finalised the names for the TTD trust board with popular television channel promoter B R Naidu as the chairman. The names of some of the board members were under discussion.
However, even as he was getting ready to constitute the board, there were floods to Vijayawada and other parts of the state and Naidu deferred the announcement of nominated bodies as he was involved in hectic flood relief operations.
Even as the flood situation subsided, there erupted the controversy over Tirumala laddu adulteration with animal fat during the YSRCP regime.
The allegations and counter-allegations are still going on and the state government had appointed a special investigation team to probe the issue.
The controversy also kicked up the demand for the autonomy of Tirumala temple and the de-politicisation of the TTD trust board. This has landed Naidu in a dilemma, because he has picked up a few TDP, Jana Sena and BJP leaders as the board members.
Naidu is aware that the appointment of political leaders on the board will definitely kick up controversy, if not now, but at least in future, as he knows no political leader is fair and god-fearing. So, there are bound to be one scam or the other, that might surface in future.
So, he has decided to revamp the TTD board again and appoint those who have relatively clean record and are non-controversial.
It is learnt he has dropped the plan to appoint B R Naidu as the TTD trust board chief, because of the allegations against him.
He reportedly called B R Naidu to Vijayawada a couple of days ago and conveyed to him that he might not be given the TTD trust board chief.
Against this backdrop, the name of former Chief Justice of India N V Raman has come up for discussion again.
Since Ramana has no immediate political background and has better record compared to others, Naidu might prefer him as the TTD trust board chief. Even with regard to the members, Naidu is going a little cautious, sources added.
