The Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP have found themselves on a sticky wicket as Uddhav Thackeray decided to rename Aurangabad as ‘Sambhajinagar’ and Osmanabad as ‘Dharashiv’ in his last cabinet meeting before resigning as the Chief Minister. There had been a longstanding demand for renaming the two districts in Maharashtra, and equally old was the Congress and NCP’s opposition to the idea.
On Wednesday, in his last cabinet meeting as a Chief Minister, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray approved renaming two cities Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv respectively. It is speculated that Uddhav Thackeray took the decision igniting Hindutva, after the Eknath Shinde-camp that rebelled again him justified their splitting over the same issue.
However, it was more of a challenge for the Congress and the NCP which had long opposed the renaming of the cities. As the names ‘Aurangabad’ and ‘Osmanabad’ suggested Muslim identity, the parties’ opposition to the renaming got much to do with their vote banks – which are predominantly Muslim and ‘secular’ in parts of Marathwada in Maharashtra.
The parties however, agreed to Thackeray’s proposal and went ahead to pass the decision. But, there were reports of Congress leaders Varsha Gaikwad and Aslam Sheikh walking out of the cabinet while the decision was been taken. Though they have not cleared the reasons, it is being speculated that they registered their protest because of the Hindutva agenda Uddhav Thackeray suddenly started working on.
All our MLAs were present for trust vote today. But now the next strategy will be discussed in today’s meeting (in Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan)… there’s no dispute in Congress regarding the name change of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar: Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat pic.twitter.com/pNndNvoUFH
— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2022
When asked by the media over this issue, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat clarified that there’s ‘no dispute’ in Congress regarding the name change of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar. NCP leader Jayant Patil too, during a press briefing, asserted the fact as one of the prominent decisions being taken at the last cabinet meeting.
However, for the Shiv Sena the road to renaming the cities was not easy as it appeared yesterday. Being in alliance with the so-called ‘secular’ parties in the MVA, the leaders had publicly denounced the idea every time the issue was raised. In December 2020, when the issue of renaming Aurangabad as ‘Sambhajinagar’ was raised, Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress had said to the media, “Our stand is clear. The MVA alliance is based on a common-minimum programme, which does not including the renaming issue. We are opposed to this, and believe development should be focused on first.”
Balasaheb Thorat | संभाजीनगर नाव करण्यास आमचा विरोध, बाळासाहेब थोरातांचं वक्तव्य – tv9 @bb_thorat #Aurangabad #Sambhajinagar pic.twitter.com/2bUiKWDU87
— TV9 Marathi (@TV9Marathi) December 31, 2020
When local Congress leaders in Aurangabad had protested against the renaming move by Shiv Sena, Thorat held a press conference in the city to note, “We do not believe in the renaming. We are indeed an ally in the MVA, but if such issue is raised in the future, they we will sternly oppose it.”
‘नाव बदलून विकास होत नाही’ औरंगाबादच्या नामांतरावरून काँग्रेसचे प्रदेशाध्यक्ष बाळासाहेब थोरात यांचा शिवसेनेला टोला.
— Mumbai Tak (@mumbaitak) December 31, 2020
औरंगाबाद की संभाजीनगर नामांतरावरून महाविकास आघाडीचं सरकार पडणार?#ShivSena #Congress #Aurangabad #Sambhajinagar #Balasaheb Thorat pic.twitter.com/APNjNBsEUf
Moreover in September 2021, when ex-Shiv Sena cabinet Minister Subhash Desai has declared that this is the ‘right time’ to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, NCP’s Jayant Patil denied support for the decision publically. Patil said that such proposal had not come then in the cabinet.
However, yesterday the Congress and the NCP are said to have given their support for the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad during the MVA cabinet meeting led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Rift over the issue persists
After the decision, a number of local Congress leaders from Aurangabad, including Mohsin Sheikh has resigned as a spokesperson and member of the party. The party’s U-turn on the issue came all of a sudden, leaving many party supporters flabbergasted.
I resign from #Congress Party due to the #NameChange of #Aurangabad by @CMOMaharashtra because of personal benefits and conflicts in @ShivSena‘s #MaharashtraPolitcalCrisis @INCIndia @INCMaharashtra @INCAbadCity pic.twitter.com/zbjayUK0UA
— Mohsin Ahmed (@mohsinahmed_in) June 30, 2022
According to the latest development, the dissent within the Congress over the renaming of Aurangabad could only be seen escalating. On Thursday, senior Congress leaders including Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan held a meeting with Muslim MLAs and leaders from the party who were miffed with the view.
The demand for ‘Sambhajinagar’ and ‘Dharashiv’
The renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad, the districts in the Marathwada region has been a longstanding demand from the local citizens. Aurangabad is now renamed Sambhajinagar after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was sacrificed his life for Hindu Dharma while refusing to bow infront of Aurangazeb. The city was earlier it was named after the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb, who had stationed there during his conquest of Deccan.
Osmanabad is now named Dharashiv – its actual name. When the Marathwada region was ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, during that period, Dharashiv was named Osmanabad after Mir Osman Ali Khan – one of the Nizam rulers. Now Osmanabad will get back its original identity Dharashiv.
