Vacant TUDA chief post draws fierce competition

Tirupati : As the AP State government announced 59 new appointments across urban development authorities and other corporations, the suspense around Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) chairperson remains unresolved. While other regions celebrated new leadership, aspirants for the influential TUDA post were left disappointed, as the position remained vacant amid intense competition.

The role of TUDA chairperson is highly coveted, not only due to its strategic importance in urban planning for Tirupati but also because of its automatic status as an ex-officio member on the prestigious Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board.

This unique dual responsibility was introduced in 2004 under the then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, though it was later removed during TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure in 2017 when he appointed G Narasimha Yadav as TUDA chairman. However, when YS Jagan Mohan Reddy became CM in 2019, he reinstated the amendment, enabling a TUDA chairperson to hold both roles once again.

Following a recent government order on November 1 confirming that the TUDA chairperson will retain this ex-officio status on the TTD board, competition for the position has escalated. Those previously vying for a TTD board position are now lobbying for the TUDA role. Among the frontrunners are prominent TDP figures MabbuDevanarayana Reddy and Divakar Reddy, also known as Dollars Divakar Reddy, alongside others from the Jana Sena and BJP, who hope to secure a place in the influential circle of temple governance.

Several other political figures have emerged as potential candidates, including former Tirupati MLA M Sugunamma, BJP spokesperson Kola Anand and Jana Sena leaders Dr Pasupuleti Hariprasad and Kiran Royal. With interest surging, Chief Minister Naidu has reportedly withheld the appointment amid intensified competition within TDP and NDA ranks.

Meanwhile, several appointments have been confirmed for leaders within the combined Chittoor district. Former TUDA chairman and TDP Tirupati parliamentary president G Narasimha Yadav has been appointed to chair the AP Yadava Welfare and Development Corporation, while TDP’s Chittoor Mayor Katari Hemalatha will lead the Chittoor Urban Development Authority (CHUDA).

Additional appointments included TDP Chittoor parliamentary president C R Rajan as chairman of AP Vannekula Kshatriya Cooperative Finance Corporation Limited, TDP leader R Sadashiva for AP Nayee Brahmin Welfare and Development Corporation and TDP state spokesperson Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar as chairman of the AP State Biodiversity Board.