Former Maharashtra Minister ND Patil, known in Karnataka as a sympathiser of pro-Maharashtrians in Karnataka died on Monday. He was 93.

Patil the leader of Shetkari Kamagar Party, born in Davali village in Sangli district was hospitalised four days ago at a private hospital at Kolhapur for his health related ailments.

Patil was a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council for 18 years and was cooperative minister from 1977 to 1980.

Patil was the backbone for the pro-Maharashtrians straggle in merging the Marathi speaking places in Karnataka into Maharashtra. In recent years he was the ‘last resort’ to the pro-Maharashtrians as he would attend to their every meetings scheduled here.

Unfortunately, he died on the day when the pro-Maharashtrians condoled to the death of its activists who were killed in the police firing during its border agitation in Belagavi.