Uddhav thanks allies, clears plan to rename cities in last cabinet meet
While Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhaji Nagar, Osmanabad was changed to Dharashiv
MUMBAI: Hours before the Supreme Court allowed a confidence vote in Maharashtra on June 30 to go ahead, forcing his resignation, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray thanked his allies and the media, rued his betrayal at the hands of his own people, and chaired what he likely knew was going to be is last cabinet meeting, clearing a proposal to rename cities of Aurangabad and Osmanabad.
While Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhaji Nagar, Osmanabad was changed to Dharashiv. The cabinet also cleared the naming of the Navi Mumbai international airport after DB Patil, who was leading protests against the project.
During the meeting, Thackeray thanked Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress and the NCP for their support in difficult times and lamented that his own party men betrayed him.
Ministers who were part of the meeting said Thackeray thanked the political leaders present as well as bureaucrats.
Water resources minister Jayant Patil said, “Chief minister expressed gratitude towards both the allies. He also thanked senior officials including the chief secretary Manukumar Srivastava.”
“CM Thackeray told the cabinet that while he got cooperation from NCP and Congress despite sharing different ideologies, he was betrayed by own party leaders..” Patil said. The issue of renaming Aurangabad was a long-standing demand. The proposal was taken up a day after Shiv Sena leader and state transport minister Anil Parab requested the chief minister to approve the renaming of the historical city.“with the cabinet’s approval, the state government will now send recommendations to the Centre for renaming both the cities. Once approved, the process of renaming them will be started by the urban development department,” said an official from the urban development department. The Navi Mumbai airport was named after backward community leader DB Patil. Initially, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) passed a resolution to name the facility after Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. The move had led to protests from BJP leaders who accused the chief minister of insisting on his father’s name while denying DB Patil the recognition he deserved.