Ahmednagar To Be Renamed As Ahilyanagar'

Mumbai: In yet another name-changing move in the BJP-ruled states, the Maharashtra government has decided to rename Ahmednagar district as Ahilyadevi Nagar after Maratha ruler Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar. Chief minister Eknath Shinde made the announcement on Wednesday during the 298th birth anniversary celebrations of the hereditary noble queen of the Maratha Empire in Malwa.

“Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar is set to be renamed as Ahilyadevi Nagar. Her Himalayan like status will only add to the reputation of the district,” Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde announced at an event in Chondi village in Ahmednagar district, which is the birthplace of the great queen.

“Ahilyabai worked for the welfare of people from all strata in the society. She set an example for good governance and administration. Examples of her governance are given even today,” said Shinde.

The event was attended by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, state revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar among others.

Mr. Fadnavis said, “Ahilyabai transformed the lives of common people by setting up a righteous government system. Her rule was progressive and advance. She reno”

The renaming of Ahmednagar was the latest name-changing move taken by the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, which had renamed Maharashtra’s Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv respectively in February.

The BJP had been demanding that Ahmednagar should be renamed after the Maratha queen. Padalkar had earlier said, “Ahmednagar’s name must be changed to Ahilya Nagar. Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis have changed the name of Aurangabad and Osmanabad after a demand raised by everyone. Following that people are also demanding the changing of the name of Ahmednagar to Ahilya Nagar.”

The decision is likely to please the sizable Dhangar (shepherd) community, to which Ahilyabai belonged, in the state.