KOLHAPUR/AURANGABAD: After Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat , the issue of renaming cities, towns and roads has surfaced in Maharashtra with state revenue minister and senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil saying that his party and government were in favour of changing the names of Aurangabad and Osmanabad. Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut , a Rajya Sabha member, too, had recently sent a letter to CM Devendra Fadnavis , demanding the renaming of Aurangabad, Osmanaabad and Khultabad in Marathwada region.Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur on Friday, Patil described the names of Aurangabad and Osmanabad as signs of foreign rule. "Why should we retain them? We have to erase them," he said. Shiv Sena started calling Aurangabad Sambhajinagar soon after the late Bal Thackeray made the demand ahead of the assembly elections in 1994. The party has suggested that Osmanabad be renamed Dharashiv and Khultabad as Ratnaprabha.The RSS has been calling Aurangabad Khadki and Osmanabad Dharashiv. Some right-wing units have been demanding the renaming of Islampur in Sangli district as Ishvarpur.Non-political stakeholders are, however, not keen on renaming these places. Prasad Kokil, immediate past president of Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture, said that developing infrastructure and eco-system for businesses and industries should be the priority for political parties.

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