Naidu to Choose New TTD Chairman Amid Alliance Negotiations

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is set to make the final decision on the next chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) as the current board’s two‑year term ended on Oct 31. The ruling alliance of TDP, Jana Sena Party and BJP is weighing several names that have surfaced in political circles. Senior TDP leaders Jyothula Nehru and Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao are among those mentioned, as is outgoing chairman B.R. Naidu. Industrialists C.M. Ravi Sankar and NRI businessman Srinivasa Ramanujam are also being considered.

Candidates

Jyothula Nehru currently sits on the outgoing board, while Kala Venkata Rao is a senior leader from North Andhra. Ravi Sankar comes from Annamayya district and reportedly missed a chance to join the board in 2017. Ramanujam is an NRI industrialist with interests in multiple states.

Selection Process

Party officials are said to be looking at caste composition, existing posts held by the candidates or their family members, and regional balance. The Model Code of Conduct for local body elections has delayed the formation of the new board, and the government is expected to act after the election process ends. Apart from the chairman, the new board will also need to allocate seats to the three alliance partners and to nominees from Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Context

The TTD chairmanship carries both religious clout and political weight in Andhra Pradesh, making the choice a sensitive issue for the ruling coalition.