PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

The 600 gm Tirumala laddu distributed by the Tirupati temple tops the list of freebies handed out by poll candidates in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district. Voters can’t get enough of this temple prasadam. Panchayat polls are fought on a non-party basis but is it just coincidence that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s maternal uncle is chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the board of the richest Hindu shrine?