Nearly three years after Aurangabad was officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the city’s railway station has now been formally renamed after the Maratha warrior king, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The Maharashtra government issued a gazette notification confirming the change, aligning the station’s name with the city’s updated identity.

The move comes as both the ruling MahaYuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) step up preparations for upcoming local and civic body elections.

A senior government official confirmed that the notification was issued on 15 October. Interestingly, the renaming process was initially launched under the previous MVA government.

Following the formation of the Eknath Shinde-led government in 2022, the state cabinet approved the renaming of Aurangabad district to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad district to Dharashiv in February 2023. The proposals were later cleared by the Central government, and on 24 February, the Revenue and Forest Department released a draft notification to formalise the change.

Despite these approvals, the railway station’s renaming had been pending until now — a delay that had drawn criticism from the opposition, particularly the Shiv Sena (UBT).

In December 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve raised the issue in the state legislative council, highlighting that several institutions, including the railway station, airport, and district cooperative banks, still used the old name “Aurangabad”.

His demand for a detailed discussion on the matter was, however, rejected at the time. The latest notification now completes the renaming process, marking another step in the city’s transition to its new historic identity.