Lok Sabha elections 2024: Renaming of Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar to be completed in PM Modi's 3rd term, says Devendra Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the process to rename Ahmednagar district as Ahilyanagar will be completed in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported news agency PTI.

Addressing a Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally in western Maharashtra in presence of PM Modi, the BJP leader said the state government has already taken a decision to rename Ahmednagar district as Ahilyanagar in honour of a legendary 18th century Maratha queen, reported PTI.

"The decision will be implemented in Modi's third term," he told the gathering.

Maharani Ahilyadevi Holkar, the 18th century queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom in central India, was born in a village in present-day Ahmednagar district in western Maharashtra.

Last year, Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts in central Maharashtra were officially renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively.

Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday claimed that it was difficult for the BJP to bag more than 200 Lok Sabha seats and that is why it is raking up Hindu-Muslim and Pakistan issues after the two phases of Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported PTI.

He was speaking at a press conference organized on the occasion of the inauguration of the central election office of North Mumbai congress. Lok Sabha Constituency candidate Bhushan Patil.

"People in the BJP say the Modi card will work in Maharashtra. But they are completely wrong. It is difficult for BJP to bag 200-plus seats. That is why (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji and his colleagues are trying to do politics of division in the country by raking up issues like Hindu-Muslim and India-Pakistan," he said, reported PTI.

But the intelligent people of Maharashtra will not rest till they show to the BJP and its allies their real place, he said.

Chennithala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a senior leader like Sharad Pawar a wandering soul.

"Does such a statement befit a person holding the post of prime minister of the country?" he asked, reported PTI.

He also said that PM Modi calls the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray as the fake Shiv Sena.

"But Modiji should not forget that these Shiv Sainiks are dedicated. These Shiv Sainiks and the Shiv Sena here will not keep quiet until you are sent home. As they (BJP) have no other issues, they are playing politics of division," Chennithala said, reported PTI.

"PM Modi and his leaders are doing the work of creating differences between religions through their speeches. But no matter what they speak about respectable leaders like Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena, the people of Maharashtra are with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The alliance will win all the seats in Maharashtra. I am fully confident that we will win all six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai as well," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)