Vijayawada: The chairman post of the coveted Kanakadurga temple here became a sort of prestige issue between the Telugu Desam and its ally the BJP, it is learnt. This post was kept vacant for several months. But once the TD came to power some six months back, it was thought that this post will be filled very soon. But the stalemate has been continuing even now.
 
Suddenly, there is news that the state government is seriously contemplating to fill this post with suitable person that resulted in many names doing rounds.  Earlier, it was thought that this all-important post will go to the TD naturally as that party came to power after a long gap. In this context, some leaders of that party are said to have intensified their efforts to get it.
 
But the latest feelers are that a leader of the BJP and a well-known builder of this area  Veeramachaneni Ranga Prasad will be appointed as the chairman of the Durga temple trust board. It was rumoured that the close proximity Ranga Prasad has with Union minister  M. Venkaiah Naidu helped him a lot in this. The fact that endowments minister Manikyala Rao belongs to the BJP also added weight to the name of Mr Ranga Prasad.
 
Naturally, this irked the TD leaders who had an eye on this post for long. It is learnt that these leaders are exerting pressure on the government through various means that it should not forego this prestigious post. They argue that their party cannot afford the loss of this post because this is the second biggest temple in the state. They also say that Vijayawada being on the ridge of the proposed capital region makes this chairman post even more valuable and the TD should keep it for itself.
 
It is learnt that some TD leaders including a famous chartered accou-ntant, who had tried vigorously for the Vijaya-wada West Assembly seat in the last elections is virtually leaving no stone unturned to get this post. It is also rumoured that some of TD leaders are even offering huge sums for this post if they are given a chance.
 
Meanwhile Mr Ranga Prasad, when contacted, clarified that he had no information about his appointment. The temple authorities and the endowments department officials also declined to comment on this contentious issue.

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