Clarion India

MUMBAI – After the fall of MVA government in Maharashtra, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said that the decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts had been taken without prior consultation.

According to Pawar, the announcement – taken in the last cabinet meeting of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government – had not been part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s common minimum programme.

“I came to know only after the decision was taken. It was taken without prior consultation. Opinions were expressed by our people during the cabinet meeting over the proposal. But the decision was that of the (then) chief minister (Thackeray),” Pawar was quoted by Times of India as saying.

While the newly appointed Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has announced its intention to uphold the renaming decisions, several politicians have voiced their discontent over the past few days.

“When decision of renaming Aurangabad was taken hurriedly, it wasn’t taken in Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s name. It was taken thinking my chair is about to be snatched, maybe his name would save us,” asserted AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel last week.

The MVA government led by Thackeray collapsed on June 29, days after his party Shiv Sena faced a rebellion launched by senior leader Eknath Shinde. On June 30, Shinde took oath as the chief minister, while BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy. Shinde enjoys the support of 40 rebel Sena MLAs.

Pawar however said he wanted the MVA to contest the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections together.
“It is my personal wish that the MVA constituents should contest the future polls together…But this is my personal opinion. I will first have a discuss the issue with my party leaders and talks can then be held with the alliance partners,” he said while speaking to reporters in Aurangabad on Sunday.