MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced the state renamed Ahmednagar district after Maratha empire queen Ahilyabai Holkar. Now, Ahmednagar will be called ‘Ahilyanagar’.
The development came after leaders from the ruling party, BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar had been demanding the same. Padalkar in February this year demanded the name to be changed following the renaming of Aurangabad.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier changed the name of Aurangabad and Osmanabad after consistent demands. “Osmanabad has been renamed Dharashiv while Aurangabad is Sambhaji Nagar. Following that people are also demanding of changing the name of Ahmednagar. So the government did it,” he said.
Malwa queen Ahilyabai Holkar was born to a Marathi family in Chaindi village of the district in 1725 and was later crowned the Queen of the Malwa kingdom.