MELBOURNE: Just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Australia, the City of Parramatta in western Sydney elected its first Indian-origin Lord Mayor on Monday, May 22.

Since January 2022, Councillor Sameer Pandey, who was first elected to the City of Parramatta Council in September 2017, has held the position of Deputy Lord Mayor.  "Parramatta is home to a vibrant and diverse community, and I'm excited to lead the City as it... cements itself as Sydney's second CBD and the focus of some of its most exciting opportunities," Pandey said in a statement.

Narendra Modi is expected to address more than 20,000 members of the Indian community at the Qudos Bank Arena Stadium in Sydney, where he will meet him. As per media report, report, Pandey will "discuss the 'Little India' precinct" at Harris Park, a Sydney area  where 45% of the residents can trace their ancestry to India and where many well-known small and medium Indian enterprises are located.

After the Indian community intensified its efforts for the name change ahead of Modi's arrival, the Sydney precinct is apparently on its way to becoming officially known as "Little India."

In a scaled-back proposal approved by the Parramatta Council last month, Marion Street, Wigram Street, and Station Street East in Harris Park will be dubbed "Little India."

The Geographic Names Board (GNB) of Australia instructed Parramatta Council to stop using the word in marketing materials because it "creates confusion," which put a halt to the Council's earlier attempts. Paul Noack, a councillor for Parramatta City, said that he anticipates the name to be established before the year's end.

Narendra Modi has also been formally invited by the Parramatta Council to go to Harris Park this time. During his recent visit  to Australia in 2014, he spoke before 20,000 spectators at the Sydney SuperDome in Olympic Park.

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