The Maharashtra Legislative Council, in a unanimous decision on Tuesday, approved a resolution for renaming seven stations across Mumbai's local train network. This move, spearheaded by the Mahayuti government under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena, alongside BJP and NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, will now forward the proposed new names to the Union government for final approval.
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil successfully moved the resolution, which received unanimous adoption. It has been noted that the majority of station names on Mumbai's local train network are in English, prompting discussions about their colonial connotations.
As per the resolution, Currey Road station will be renamed Lalbaug, Sandhurst Road as Dongri, Marine Lines as Mumbadevi, and Charni Road will be named as Girgaon. The renaming of Sandhurst Road will be effective on the Central Line as well as the Harbour Line. Among other stations, Cotton Green station will be renamed Kalachowki, Dockyard Road as Mazgaon, and King's Circle as Tirthankar Parswanath.
Mumbai has previously seen notable changes in station names, such as Victoria Terminus (VT) becoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Elphinstone Road being renamed Prabhadevi. These transformations reflect a growing trend towards adopting culturally significant names for public spaces.
Meanwhile, Ambadas Danve, the Leader of the Opposition in the council, raised a query concerning the renaming of Aurangabad airport in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city.