Overview

• The state cabinet passed the resolution on July 17 and has forwarded the proposal to the Centre for final approval under India’s place-name change rules.
• Demand for the change was led by Shiv Pratishthan, a Hindutva group headed by Sambhaji Bhide, which first raised the issue in 1986 and pressed its case with a Sangli collectorate memorandum.
• This initiative follows Maharashtra’s recent trend of replacing Mughal- and colonial-era names with Maratha heritage titles, including Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv.
• Congress MLAs Amin Patel and Aslam Shaikh criticised the move as symbolic showmanship that overlooks deficiencies in local infrastructure, education and healthcare.
• Final enactment hinges on central government consent, meaning the name will change only after New Delhi reviews and approves the state’s recommendation.