Rename Ahmednagar after Ahilyabai Holkar: BJP MLC

Padalkar, who is an MLC, made the formal demand again on the first day of the budget session of Maharashtra legislature

Days after the Centre approved the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad, a BJP leader, Gopinath Padalkar, has started a campaign to rename the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra after Ahilyabai Holkar, the Holkar queen of the Maratha-Malwa kingdom.

Last week, the Centre approved the change of name of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv.

Padalkar, who is an MLC, made the formal demand again on the first day of the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature.

“It is the demand of supporters of Ahilya Devi Holkar that Ahmednagar should be renamed as Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Nagar,” he said and pleaded with Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis to take a decision accordingly.

“Very soon the name would be changed,” Padalkar told reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex.

Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was born in Chaundi in Ahmednagar district to a Dhangar family.

Ahilya Bai was a great pioneer and helped build hundreds of temples and dharamshalas throughout India.