hyderabad hes a fiery campaigner but a man of religion the chilkuru balaji temple head priest says that with the elections around the corner hes running his own campaign to educate pilgrims about the evils of the ticket and hundi systems in templesits no different from what i have been doing all these days head priest profm v soundara rajan so whats new this time around hes lacing his message with a liberal dose of politics soundara rajans pitch to the voter campaign against the andhra pradesh endowments act the priest who also heads the archaka samakhya has already got crackingand he does it all rather skillfully he holds discourses in the temple precincts and dwells on the importance of ekadasi midway through he deftly brings in his pet hate the endowments act somehow the sharp references to the controversial act dont jar there lies his skillat the chilkuru temple adjacent to the osmansagar reservoir thousands come to hear him its election time dont let someone trifle with your vote take time off to ensure your name is on the voters list exercise your franchise he tells his listeners thats just the preamble ask the politicians who come to your doorsteps asking for votes to make their stand clear on the endowments act get a clear picture on where the political parties stand visavis the endowments act remember that the act is at the root of all evils in temples he goes onthe pilgrims hear him out as he speaks into a megaphone the temple system has been deteriorating about 32000 temples in the state are on the verge of collapse only 2000 shrines are functioning all the evils lie in the act the government is more concerned about the collection from the hundis