Patel said that the erstwhile ruler had established the the world-famous Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda as well as the Bank of Baroda in 1908.
He added that the ruler had also given a educational scholarship to Dalit icon Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
The NCP leader said that as civil aviation minister in the previous UPA government,he had introduced a bill to rename the airport after Sayajirao Gaekwad.
He claimed that the demand was close to the heart of the people of Vadodara.