The Eknath Shinde-led “Maha-Yuti” Government on Wednesday convened a Special Session of the Maharashtra Legislature on February 20 to decide on the reservations to Maratha community, even as the health condition of the agitating Shivba Sanghatana leader and pro-reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil deteriorated.

On a day when the hunger agitation of Jarange-Patil entered fifth day, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde announced the scheduling of a special session of both Houses of the state Legislature on Tuesday next.  

At a weekly meeting presided over by Shinde, the state Cabinet decided to convene a special session of the Maharashtra Legislature in line with the commitment it had made to Jarange-Patil last month to accord reservations to the Maratha community.

Buoyed by the Shinde dispensation’s recent decision to accept his demand for expanding the scope of Kunbi OBC certificates for Marathas,  Jarange-Patil went on a fresh hunger agitation from February 10 to demand speedy implementation of a draft rules for the Maratha reservations.

The health condition of Jarange-Patil, who has gone on a hunger agitation in his native village Antaravali-Sarati in Jalna district of Marathwada, worsened after  blood started oozing from his nose and he reported  dehydration, physical weakness and severe abdominal pain.

On his part, Jarange-Patil has gone on record saying that he would not calloff his agitation till the state government issues a notification  to facilitate speedy implementation of the notification  on the draft rules for the Maratha reservations issued on January 26.

It may be recalled that on January 27, the Maharashtra government had decided to issue a gazette notification with rules aimed at easing and expanding the scope for offering Kunbi OBC certificates to Marathas. These certificates will entitle them to apply for government jobs and admissions in educational institutions as OBCS, who are entitled for 27 per cent reservations in the state.