Elphinstone Road station to be renamed Prabhadevi, Maharaj to be added to Mumbai airport

On Friday, the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that made these recommendations to the Central government.

The Elphinstone Road railway station may soon be called Prabhadevi, and the word ‘Maharaj’ may be added to the names of Mumbai’s airport and the central railways’ terminus.

The station had been named after Lord Elphinstone who was the governor of Bombay from 1853 to 1860. (File)

On Friday, the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that made these recommendations to the Central government.

The resolution was moved by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Assembly and got the support of all parties. The state needs the Central government’s nod as both the airport and railways fall under it.

The Mumbai airport is called Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, while the central railway’s Mumbai terminus is called the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

The state’s ministers said they want the word Maharaj added to these names as the Maratha warrior king should be given respect when his name is mentioned.

“The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly hereby recommends to the Central Government to rename the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai,” read the resolution.

The same resolution also recommended that the Centre to allows changing the name of the Central Railway’s terminus as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and rename the Elphinstone Road railway station on the western line as Prabhadevi station.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance’s initiative to name and rename transport hubs is seen as an attempt to please the Marathi speaking population ahead of the civic polls in Mumbai, Thane and other cities in the Mumbai metropolitan region. Just this month, the new station at Oshiwara on the Western line was named Ram Mandir station.