Shiv Sena, Congress spar over renaming Aurangabad 'Sambhaji Nagar'

The two ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi partners – the Shiv Sena and the Congress - seem to be on different pages on the issue of renaming Aurangabad 'Sambhaji Nagar'.

Aurangabad, the divisional headquarters of the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, is considered to be the tourism capital of the state.

For Shiv Sena, it is a long-pending demand. The Congress, however, has now opposed it.

The development assumes significance as the elections to the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is due.

Earlier this week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide and state Industries Minister Subhash Desai tweeted, “Super Sambhaji Nagar” after it received investment proposals worth Rs 7,500 crore.

State Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, however, has expressed his opposition to the move of the Shiv Sena.

Read: Congress will oppose any proposal to rename Aurangabad: Thorat

"If any proposal about renaming Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar comes up, the Congress will oppose it strongly. Our party does not believe in changing names as it does not lead to the development of the common man," Thorat said, adding that the MVA alliance is guided by the common minimum programme (CMP).

The Aurangabad district houses UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora, medieval structures like Bibi ka Maqbara, the Grishneshwar temple and the Daulatabad fort.

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had renamed the city 'Aurangabad' in 1653. However, popular demand is to name it 'Sambhaji Nagar' after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was tortured to death at the behest of Aurangzeb in 1689. Sambhaji Maharaj was the son of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

From 1995-99, when the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power, the proposal was mooted.

On June 19, 1995, the AMC sent a proposal to the state government which could not be implemented. Now the AMC is mooting a proposal yet again.