PNS | Vijayawada
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced the appointment of Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy as the new chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board.
A Government Order (GO) to this effect was issued on Saturday, signed by R Karikal Valaven, Special Chief Secretary to the Government (Endowments). The new Board’s tenure will commence after the completion of the existing board’s term on August 8, 2023, as mentioned in the GO. Karunakar Reddy will hold the post for two years.
Hailing from Eedarapalli village in Nandalur mandal, Kadapa district, Karunakar Reddy pursued his post-graduation at Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. Karunakar Reddy previously served as the TTD Trust Board Chairman from 2006 to 2008 during YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s tenure as the Chief Minister of the then combined Andhra Pradesh state. He was elected to the AP Legislative Assembly from the Tirupati constituency in the 2012 by-election and again in the 2019 election. Incumbent TTD Board Chairman, YV Subba Reddy, will conclude his tenure on August 8.
After the appointment, Bhumana promptly met with the chief minister to convey his gratitude for the honor of being appointed TTD chairman for the second time.
Until Saturday morning, there were numerous speculations surrounding the appointment of the TTD chairman, as multiple contenders vied for the prestigious position. Among the prominent candidates in contention were senior figures like Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, former minister Siddha Raghava Rao, and BC leader Janga Krishna Murthy.
Rumours circulated that CM Jagan might not favour appointing another candidate from the Reddy community this time, given that Subba Reddy had already held the position for the previous two terms. Instead, there were possibilities of a BC candidate like Janga Krishna Murthy or a Vysya candidate like Siddha Raghava Rao being selected. There was also talk of considering a leader from the Kapu community for the role.
Ultimately, CM Jagan prioritised loyalty to the party over considerations of caste and ethnicity, leading to the final decision in favour of Bhumana, as reliable sources confirmed.
