Maharashtra renames Islampur as Ishwarpur after Centre’s approval

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has officially renamed Islampur town in Sangli district’s Walwa taluka as Ishwarpur, following approval from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. A gazette notification issued on Tuesday by the state’s General Administration Department confirmed the change, directing all departments to update official records accordingly, The Indian Express reported.

Describing the move as “historic” and reflective of public sentiment, State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the renaming fulfilled a long-standing demand from local residents. “Local representatives consistently raised this issue in the Assembly. Accordingly, Chief Minister Honorable Devendra Fadnavisji pursued this demand of the people with the Union government,” Bawankule stated on social media.

Chief Minister Fadnavis also shared the notification online, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their support. The BJP, which leads the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra alongside the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde and the NCP group led by Ajit Pawar, has backed several such renaming initiatives in recent years.

The demand to rename Islampur was initially raised by Shiv Pratishthan, a Hindutva organisation led by Sambhaji Bhide, which had submitted a formal request to the Sangli Collectorate, according to The Indian Express.

This latest renaming follows a series of similar changes in the state. In 2022, the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government approved the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad to Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv, respectively, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court. In March 2024, the state Cabinet approved renaming Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar, in honour of 18th-century queen Ahilyabai Holkar; that proposal is still awaiting clearance from the Centre.