‘Not made with polls in mind’: Karnataka cabinet nod to rename Ramanagara district ‘Bengaluru South’ | Bengaluru News – Times of India

The proposal had gained momentum following a meeting led by deputy CM DK Shivakumar with chief minister Siddaramaiah.

BENGALURU: The state cabinet Friday gave approval to rename Ramanagara district ‘Bengaluru South‘ in a big brand-value upgrade that is expected to ignite political debate as well as boost the district’s heft in infrastructure sweepstake.
Ramanagara town, 50km from Bengaluru, will continue to serve as the district headquarters and will include the taluks of Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli.The proposal had gained momentum following a meeting led by deputy CM DK Shivakumar with chief minister Siddaramaiah.

‘Boost to industries, real estate’

“We’ve decided to rename Ramanagara district ‘Bengaluru South’. It is being done with ‘Brand Bengaluru‘ in mind and based on the demand of the people there. The revenue department will initiate the process,” announced law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil.
He said the names of taluks in the district will not change. “People of Ramanagara want to be associated with Brand Bengaluru. This is the sentiment of the residents… in the district,” he said.
‘Not made with polls in mind’
The renaming proposal is particularly significant for Shivakumar, who is from Ramanagara and represents Kanakapura in the legislative assembly, and mooted it in Oct.
The move has expectedly drawn criticism from Union minister HD Kumaraswamy. He threatened to reverse the renaming if he returned to power, suggesting the proposal is aimed at capitalising on real-estate opportunities. He had warned that he would undertake fast-unto-death if the govt proceeded with it.
Questioned about the political implications, Patil said, “This was made not with the elections in mind. If property values improve, then it benefits residents. This shows our decision is favourable to people of Ramanagara.”