HYDERABAD: The management of the Tirumala temple has so far been the exclusive domain of the state of Andhra Pradesh . But in a move that aims to reduce AP’s hold and give other states some say, the Bharatiya Janata Party is actively lobbying for members of the governing board of Tirumala Tirupati Devesthanams ( TTD ) to be appointed from other states like Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

According to high-level sources, BJP president Amit Shah has communicated to AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu that a member each from Maharashtra and Gujarat should be nominated to the TTD board. After Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, devotees from Maharashtra turn up in large numbers for darshan of the Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, while those from Gujarat too make up a significant number. The unstated reason for the BJP’s interest is clear: From being a regional destination of Hindu pilgrims, the temple has acquired national and international stature. The saffron party’s argument is that Tirumala attracts devotees from across the country and, therefore, those from other states should also have a say in the administration of the temple affairs.

The TTD board comprises 18 members and it is the prerogative of the state administration to appoint any one of its choice. “After Naidu took over, he has been facing tremendous pressure from several TDP leaders to appoint them as members. But in the last few weeks, the BJP too has entered the picture and wants a big say in the nominations” said sources in the know of things.

The problem for Naidu is that there are more than 200 aspirants for the 18 member posts. “Apart from AP, traditionally, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are represented in the board. From this year, Telangana too needs to be accommodated. Now, Amit Shah wants members to be included from Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is going to be a tough task for Naidu to finalize the names,” these sources said. Board members are able to not only influence policies, but also can ensure favoured pilgrims easy entry to the temple that teems with huge crowds throughout the year.

But what is upsetting the Naidu camp is that the BJP wants to play a role in the TTD administration. “The saffron party has already secured the endowments portfolio in the AP government. And apart from the BJP chief, central minister Sadanand Gowda too has recommended a name to be appointed to the TTD board,” the sources said.

Sadanand Gowda wants Subbaraju, a Telugu settled in Bangalore, to be included in the board. The AP unit of the BJP has proposed the names of party spokesperson G Bhanuprakash Reddy and Tadepalligudem MLA Akula Satyanarayana to be made members. Others in the race include industrialists, filmworld bigwigs and spiritual gurus. Among the key aspirants for the chairman post is TDP’s own Chadalavada Krishnamurthy.

AP endowments minister P Manikyala Rao told TOI that Naidu will take a call on the new TTD executive board. According to the sources, the revamp will take place by the third week of December.The tenure of the last TTD board headed by Kanimuri Bapiraju was till August 24, 2014, but Chandrababu Naidu ended it a few days before that and handed over the Tirumala temple administration to a specified authority headed by endowments principal secretary J C Sharma.