Rahul's Amethi changes to Sahuji Maharaj Nagar

Lucknow, Jul 1: Cabinet meeting chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati decided to change the parliamentary constituency Amethi as the 72nd district of the state.

Amethi, the parliamentary constituency of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, will be known as Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar and district headquarters will be the Gauriganj.

The district would be carved out of three Tehsils of Sultanpur, Gauriganj and Musafirkhana and two of Rai Bareli.

The government took the decision following Allahabad High Court"s directive in the matter. In Mar 2010 the Court had directed the state government to consider formation of the new Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar within three months.

The carving of Amethi into Sahuji Maharaj Nagar was seven year old dream of Mayawati in which she had announced this on Dec 2002. But later Mulayam Singh Yadav's government came into power in Aug 2003 and scrapped her decision.

"The new district should have been in the name of late Rajiv Gandhi, who had long been associated with the Constituency," said UPCC spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh.

“Renaming was a meaningless exercise and let us see how long these names will continue," said Samajwad Party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav.

Similarly, nearly three decade old Kanpur Dehat has been renamed as Ramabai Nagar. Ramabai was the first wife of Dr BR Ambedkar.

OneIndia News