Uddhav govt names Navi Mumbai Airport after DB Patil, Shinde's 'Balasaheb' ask ignored

As the political crisis in Maharashtra continues to escalate with a floor test on the cards on Thursday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday chaired a cabinet meeting and took several important decisions. The cabinet approved Congress' proposal of renaming the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) after late local leader Dinkar Balu Patil.

It is pertinent to mention that in December 2020, Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde-- now an ongoing rebel leader - proposed that the airport should be named after Balasaheb Thackeray. At the meeting, the Congress also sought the renaming of Pune as 'Jijau Nagar', which has not been approved.

Also, the cabinet gave its approval to rename Aurangabad which will henceforth be called 'Sambhajinagar', and Osmanabad will be called 'Dharashiv'. Meanwhile, as per sources, two Cabinet Ministers and Congress leaders Varsha Gaikwad and Aslam Shaikh left the cabinet meeting chaired by Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray midway. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government held a cabinet meeting a day before the crucial floor test that may result in its collapse. At the end of the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray is said to have delivered an emotional speech and exited the meeting waving to the cameras.

Navi Mumbai International Airport Controversy 

Navi Mumbai International Airport at Ulwe Kopar-Panvel will be the second international airport in Mumbai alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. It is said to be one of the largest greenfield airport projects in the world. However, it has been at the center of controversies with various factions proposing different names for the airport.

The Maharashtra government and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Mumbai (CIDCO) have announced that the airport will be named after the late Bal Thackeray, founder of the ruling Shiv Sena party in the state.

However, villagers and local politicians, including BJP workers have been demanding that the airport be named after late activist DB Patil for which a massive protest was held at CIDCO Bhavan in Belapur on Thursday. DB Patil is said to have championed the cause of farmers and residents of Navi Mumbai by ensuring that they get respectable compensation for the land from CIDCO.

Floor test on June 30?

Notably, this development comes following the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis meeting Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday, asking him to convene a floor test. 

The former Chief Minister submitted a letter to Koshyari, urging him to ask the Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra to prove its majority in the 288-member Assembly. Fadnavis claimed that the ruling MVA coalition seemed to be in the minority as a majority of the Sena MLAs are "on the verge of ending the alliance." Soon after this, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari ordered a floor test to be held on June 30.

Meanwhile crying foul over the Governor's floor test directive, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut remarked, "The Governor was waiting for this moment only. SC has said you can come to court. This is unlawful and Governor is disobeying laws". He also mentioned that the MVA will move the Supreme Court against the floor test directive. The Shiv Sena faction of Uddhav Thackeray has moved the Supreme Court against the Governor calling for a floor test. The Apex court is hearing the petition at the time of publishing.

(Image: Twitter/@I_M_Michael_ASR/@CMOMaharashtra/@PatilNikhil_12)