Why Shiv Sena is raking up Aurangabad renaming row
MUMBAI: The tension between the ruling allies Congress and Shiv Sena over renaming Aurangabad is likely to intensify after chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray weighed in on the issue on Friday. Thackeray’s response to Congress’ objection to him referring to Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar to honour the Maratha ruler has shown that the stakes are high for the Sena in the matter.
With the civic body election coming up in the Marathwada city, the Sena wants to keep control of the civic body and keep the BJP at bay.
Earlier in the week, Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat had raised objection to CM’S official Twitter handle referring to Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar. Thorat further said the renaming of cities was not a part of the common minimum programme (CMP) of the three parties.
On Friday, the CM said, “Aurangzeb was not a secular person. While our agenda has the word secular in it, a person like Aurangzeb does not fit into it.” Thackeray’s statement assumes significance with the Sena taking a wider stance on secularism from its allies.
A day after Thackeray’s statement, Sena leader and former Aurangabad Lok Sabha MP Chandrakant Khaire said that Thackeray should officially rename it Sambhaji Nagar on January 23, the birth anniversary of Sena founder Bal Thackeray, who had given the proposal to rename the city in the 1980s.
The stakes
The issue of renaming Aurangabad city after the son of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a three-decade-old one which resurfaces during elections. Aurangabad was named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who was buried here after he died during his campaign to conquer entire Deccan. King Sambhaji was killed by Mughals. The Sena’s demand is in line with its ideology —honouring the local hero who fought the Mughal invasion.
For the Sena, in light of the changed political dynamic in the state, the issue is one to keep the Hindutva credentials intact. It is keen on the renaming to assert its Hindutva agenda. While the Congress is opposed to the renaming to protect its minority voter base in Aurangabad, which is already threatened by the All India Majlis-e-ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
In the 2015 civic election, the Sena won 29 of the 113-member civic body, followed by AIMIM with 25 and BJP with 22 seats. The election for the civic body was due in 2020 but was pushed back due to the pandemic.
With the announcement of the election expected any time this year, both the ruling allies are trying to protect their base. If the Sena remains cautious in formalising the demand for a name change, it would give the BJP an edge over them on Hindutva identity. The BJP, which has already cornered the Sena on this topic, will project Sena’s failure as a dilution of Hindutva credentials.
For the Congress, if it cows down to alliance pressure, the AIMIM will milk it to its project that the grand old party has given up on its secular ideology.
The BJP, meanwhile, aims to reap the benefit of the tussle between the ruling allies. The party is looking for a victory after losing power in the state, and the subsequent loss in the Legislative council elections and in local body polls.
The technical challenge
The Aurangabad civic body had passed a resolution to rename the city in 1995. The then Senaled state government under Manohar Joshi subsequently issued a notification which was challenged by a Congress councillor who succeeded after the Supreme Court granted a stay on the notification.
To rename the city, either the local civic body has to pass a resolution or the CM can bring in a cabinet resolution. A senior Sena leader requesting anonymity said, “So far, there are no signs of a Cabinet resolution on this matter. The three parties will sit and discuss the matter.”
Political analyst Prakash Bal termed the ongoing tensions between the Sena and Congress as a “minor hiccup”. “This is not such an issue that can lead to a split in the alliance,” Bal said.