Stiff competition for Bhadradri Temple Trust chairperson post; Bhatti’s wife also in race

The competition for the post of chairperson of the Bhadradri temple board is getting intense among key leaders in the district. This includes Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife Nandini as well.

Khammam: The competition for the post of chairperson of the Bhadradri temple board is getting intense among key leaders in the district. This includes Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife Nandini as well.

It might be noted that the State government issued a notification for constituting temple boards for 16 temples of the 76 temples in the district and invited applications from aspirants for trustee positions. Each temple would have 14 members and one among them would be the chairperson.

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Mainly there is a stiff competition for chairman and trust board member positions of popular temples like Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam in Bhadrachalam and Peddammathalli (Sri Kanaka Durga temple) temple in Kothagudem district besides Jamalapuram Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple in Khammam.

The ruling and opposition parties’ leaders are vying with each other to get positions in the temple trust boards. It is said that the name of Kamma Mahajana Sangham district president Yerneni Rama Rao, who is a follower of Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, is being considered for Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam trust board chairman post.

However, there are rumours in the district political circles that Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife, Nandini is also showing interest in Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam trust board’s chairperson post.

According to party sources, the party leadership might lean towards Nandini, who had aspired for the Khammam parliament ticket in the last Lok Sabha elections but was denied one. She actively worked for the Congress candidates’ victory in previous Assembly and parliament elections.

Since she was not offered any nominated post while several others, who were denied tickets in last elections, were nominated as chairman for different corporation, her followers feel that the Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam trust board chairperson post would be suitable for her and that she should be given that position.

On the other hand, some of her followers opine that Nandini should be given an important position in the party at the State and national level.