Kanipakam, Srikalahasti temple heads' appointment kicks up row

Tirupati: The much awaited appointment of chairpersons for two prestigious temples in Chittoor district – Kanipakam and Srikalahasti devasthanams has kicked up a row. While several aspirants were eagerly waiting to get these posts in Srikalahasti and Puthalapattu constituencies, the government has dashed their hopes by bringing in two names from neighbouring segments.

There was a demand from the Kanipakam temple devotees belonging to the surrounding 14 villages who have been in the service of the Lord for several decades wished that one among them should be appointed as the chairman. They even requested Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy during his 'Padayatra' and got an assurance in this regard.

The trust board has been lying vacant since the YSRCP government assumed power in 2019. After a gap of over two years, the chairperson was nominated much to the disappointment of the party cadre as well as the long serving devotees.

It may be recalled that when a non-local was appointed as chairman in the past, the devotees from those 14 villages have approached the court and got favourable orders. They are said to be planning to go to the court again soon after the GO is issued. They argue that following the customs one among them should be made chairman.

It was learnt that local MLA M S Babu is also not satisfied with the decision to appoint Pramilamma Reddy of Penumur mandal in GD Nellore constituency. She is the sister-in-law of former MP Gnanendra Reddy. She earlier worked as MPP and ZPTC. Even other leaders in the party were not happy over the decision to appoint an outsider as the temple chairperson.

On the other hand, everything is not going well with the appointment of YSRCP leader from Satyavedu constituency B Beerendra Verma as chairman of Srikalahasti devasthanam. Local MLA B Madhusudan Reddy has been reportedly expressing his displeasure over this as he wants one of his followers from Srikalahasti constituency to be made the chairman as the post was filled for the first time after September 2017.

Party leaders in Srikalahasti constituency have been looking to grab this post since 2019 after the change of government in the State. Now they have been crying foul as all their hard work for the party went in vain.

Needless to say that all the ex-chairmen including the immediate past chairman Pothugunta Guravaiah Naidu hailed from Srikalahasti Assembly constituency only.