http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/mayawati-renames-new-district-in-gandhi-stronghold-34946
Mayawati renames new district in Gandhi stronghold NDTV Correspondent, Updated: July 01, 2010 15:44 IST New Delhi: With the Rahul Gandhi threat to her turf growing by the day in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Mayawati has fired the next salvo in the fierce battle for Dalit votes. She has resurrected a move to carve out a new district that includes the Gandhi strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli, and name it after a Dalit icon. The new district, carved out of Rae Bareli and Sultanpur districts, will be called Chhatrapti Sahuji Maharaj Nagar. It will include three Sultanpur Assembly seats and two Rae Bareli seats. The Parliamentary constituency will remain Amethi, which Rahul Gandhi represents and will not be affected by the new district being carved out. Congress President Sonia Gandhi represents the Rae Bareli Parliamentary constituency. "The state cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mayawati has decided to restore district status to Chattrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar," PTI quoted an official government spokesman as saying on Thursday. The BSP government of 2003 had accorded district status to the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, then represented by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and renamed it Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar. The Congress opposed this. It was not against a new district but wanted it named Rajiv Gandhi Nagar. The next government, that of the Samajwadi Party, revoked the notification. Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj is a Dalit icon from Maharashtra. (with PTI inputs) Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/mayawati-renames-new-district-in-gandhi-stronghold-34946?cp
