Tirupati: Though New Year’s day and the auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi are still a week away, pressure for VIP passes is already mounting on the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

State and Central ministers, MLAs and MLCs of various political parties, bureaucrats, judiciary, police, press and various people associated with the “power centres” are all set to queue up at the Lord’s abode on New Year’s day and Vaikunta Ekadasi, on January 1.

The temple administration, which has anticipated a heavy influx of devotees besides VVIPs to Tirumala on January 1, has already announced that VIP passes would be issued strictly as per protocol and on the basis of “one VIP plus three members”. Despite this, it is learnt that the number of persons who fall in the “VIP bracket” would not be less than 4,000.

While on one hand, the temple administration is trying its best to keep a tab on the number of VIP passes to be issued, the friends and relatives of VIPs, including politicos, bureaucrats and others, are apparently mounting pressure for passes.

Additionally, this being the first Vaikunta Ekadasi after the Telugu Desam returned to power in the state after a decade, local TD leaders are exerting pressure on the party leadership to direct the TTD administration to be a little liberal on the issuance of VIP passes.

With polls to the Tirupati Municipal Corporation and by-elections to the Tirupati Assembly seat ahead, the request-cum-pressure tactics of local leaders for VIP passes for Vaikunta Ekadasi cannot be taken lightly, observed a TD leader.

It is still to be seen whether the TD-led state government and subsequently the TTD administration will yield to the pressure of the local leaders. However, it is clear that the temple administration is going to have a tough time as far as the issuance of VIP passes for Vaikunta Ekadasi is concerned.

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