Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is contemplating making certain changes in the newly-constituted Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams trust board, which was announced on Wednesday night, according to sources.
Though it is believed that Naidu had made a thorough exercise and consulted his alliance partners before announcing the 24-member TTD trust board, he has reportedly received strong objections from his own party leaders over the appointment of a few members in the board.
Sources said there was a criticism against at least three members of the newly-formed TTD board.
One is Dr Adit Desai from Gujarat; another is Saurabh H Bora from Maharashtra (both understood to have recommended by the BJP top leadership) and the third one is former Gurajala MLA Janga Krishna Murthy.
Adit Desai happens to be the son of Dr Ketan Desai, former member of the last TTD trust board during the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy regime till recently. Ketan, a controversial figure who headed the Medical Council of India, had faced several charges of corruption and other crimes.
Secondly, Saurabh H Bora is a popular stock broker and is learnt to have faced several allegations of manipulating the stock market and SEBI is probing the case. In January 2024, Bora donated Rs 30 lakh worth of ghee to the temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala and the TTD used the ghee to make laddus that were sent to Ayodhya for the inauguration of the Ram temple.
Third is Janga Krishna Murthy, who was in the YSRCP till recently before defecting to the TDP just before the elections. He was also a former member of the TTD and at one stage, Jagan considered his name for the TTD chairman post. After joining the TDP, he lobbied extensively to become the TTD member.
A section of TDP leaders is learnt to have objected to the appointment of the people who had enjoyed the same position during the YSRCP regime and those with dubious image.
Following a criticism from various quarters, Naidu is said to be in two minds now. He is learnt to have asked the BJP leadership to suggest alternative names, so that he can make changes in the list, sources added.
