Aurangabad: Amid celebrations by the Maharashtra BJP and both the factions of the Shiv Sena over renaming of Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, confusion has prevailed over whether the new name will apply to the district headquarters as well. The Union Home Ministry on Friday approved the Maharashtra government's decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.
But going by the wording in the said circular of the Home Ministry, a question has arisen whether the Aurangabad district name has also been changed or not. Lack of clarity on this count has led to confusion among the political and administrative circles as well. The issue will remain vague unless the Ministry gives a clarification on this, sources said.
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The decision to rename the twin cities was welcomed by the BJP and the Uddhav Thackery and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena. Shinde faction leader and Minister Sandipan Bhumre and BJP MLA and Cabinet Minister Atul Save cheered with the workers in the TV center area after the MHA circular was issued.
On the other hand, the leaders of the Uddhav group said that Balasaheb Thackeray's dream was fulfilled. Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said, “I congratulate and thank the central government for this. Credit goes only to Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray”. Balasaheb Thackeray was the first to propose renaming the twin cities in the late 1980s.
Balasaheb Thackeray had on 9 May 1988 proposed the name Sambhajinagar for Aurangabad after Sambhaji, the son of Shivaji killed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government too had approved the decision to rename the twin cities before the MVA collapsed last year.
