Karnataka Cabinet approves renaming of Ramanagara to Bengaluru South

A delegation led by Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar submitted a memorandum to raise the pitch for the renaming of the district.

The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday approved the renaming of the Ramanagara district to Bengaluru South.

"The (state) cabinet has approved to rename Ramanagara district to Bengaluru South district," Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said.

The issue had triggered a row earlier when a delegation led by Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar submitted a memorandum to raise the pitch for the renaming of the district.

The Ramanagara district was created in August 2007 when JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister of the state.

The proposal has gained significance ahead of Channapatna assembly bypolls, the date for which is yet to be announced.

The bypoll is necessitated following Kumaraswamy's election to Lok Sabha from Mandya in the recent general election.

"There is a feeling among people of Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks that Bengaluru's international reputation, sovereignty and prestige should be available to their taluks too and it also our thinking," Shivakumar and other members of the delegation had said in their memorandum earlier.

"So the current Ramanagara district consisting of these taluks should be renamed, and Ramanagara taluk should be declared its headquarters," they said.

Shivakumar, who hails from the district, had last year too spoken about the plans to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South, with which he hopes for impact of 'Brand Bengaluru' on smaller nearby towns.

Ramanagara district will remain as it is with Ramanagara as headquarters, but the district will be renamed as Bengaluru South, Shivakumar, also state Congress chief, said.

(With inputs from PTI)