YSRCP, TDP clash over TTD land swap deal with Andhra tourism department

The land swap deal between Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department has triggered a political and administrative tussle, with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing the temple body of compromising temple property.

YSRCP’s Chittoor district president and former TTD Trust Board Chairman, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, strongly opposed the land exchange move, alleging it could turn into a major scam. TTD, however, dismissed his charges as baseless.

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Misuse of temple funds

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson and Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board chairman N Vijay Kumar on Friday (August 22) accused Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of serious budgetary violations and misuse of devotees’ funds during his tenure.

At a press conference in Tirupati, Vijay Kumar claimed that soon after Karunakar Reddy assumed charge as TTD chairman in September 2023, the Devasthanam stopped uploading board resolutions and sanction details on its official website, thereby reducing transparency.

He alleged that in just three months, the former chairman approved engineering contracts worth Rs 1,233 crore in 2023–24, far exceeding the budget allocation of Rs 300 crore.

The TDP leader further charged that Karunakar Reddy diverted temple funds for his son’s election campaign, and demolished existing pilgrim facilities to issue new contracts and collect kickbacks.

Vijay Kumar also criticised the proposal to divert 1 per cent of TTD’s annual revenue, about Rs 120 crore, to the Tirupati Municipal Corporation for sanitation, calling it questionable. He argued that Karunakar Reddy holding the posts of both MLA and TTD chairman amounted to a clear conflict of interest.

YSRCP levels serious allegations

Meanwhile, Karunakar Reddy held both TTD Chairman BR Naidu and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu responsible, accusing them of sacrificing temple lands for commercial gains.

He claimed that around 25 acres of TTD land in Tirupati, worth nearly Rs 1,500 crore, was being traded for lower-value land belonging to the Tourism Department in rural areas.

Speaking to the media on Sunday (August 24), Reddy said the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) in Vijayawada had been permitted, via G.O.M.S. No. 21 dated August 7, 2025, to swap its 24.68 acres in Peruru village, Tirupati rural mandal, with 25 acres of TTD land in Survey No. 588/A, Tirupati urban mandal.

“This permits APTA to execute a registered ‘exchange deed’ with the TTD. It is essentially a ploy to hand over the precious 20-acre land, valued at nearly Rs 1,500 crore, to the Oberoi Group,” he alleged.

Reddy added that such an exchange of Lord Venkateswara’s land for commercial purposes has never occurred in TTD’s history and warned that the YSRCP would resist any attempt to alienate temple property for purposes other than those intended for devotees.

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TTD counters allegations

The TTD countered these charges, stating that the controversy stemmed from a 2021 decision under the previous government, when the Tourism Department allotted 20 acres at Alipiri to Oberoi Hotels.

That land, located at the foothills of Tirumala, has long been considered sacred, drawing strong objections from Hindu groups, swamijis, and devotees.

In the board meeting held on Nov 18, 2024, through Resolution No. 102, TTD recommended to the government that the sacred land should not be allotted to the Oberoi Hotel but instead should be transferred to the TTD.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu himself, during a March 21 visit to Tirumala, assured that no activity violating the sanctity of Tirumala would be allowed.

Following this, the Tourism Department agreed to hand over the north-side land, considered sacred and adjoining Tirumala hill, to TTD, while requesting south-side land across the road in exchange.

Land exchange defended

The TTD Board, through Resolutions No. 250 on May 7 and No. 385 on July 22, approved the transfer of TTD-owned land on the south side of the road to the Tourism Department in exchange for the land on the north side.

TTD plans to utilise the sacred land on the north side of the Alipiri road to develop facilities for devotees, addressing future needs.

The south-side land, already seeing construction activity, was allotted to the Tourism Department, while TTD retained the more significant north-side land adjacent to the Tirumala hill, which is crucial for TTD in view of the sanctity and security of Tirumala, the temple administration said.

TTD maintained that the exchange was meant to preserve Tirumala’s sanctity and security, and rejected allegations of misuse of temple lands, saying they were inconsistent with devotees’ sentiment