Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel breathed his last in the wee hours of Wednesday at a Gurugram hospital. He was undergoing treatment after being diagnosed of Corona Virus about a month ago. The cause of his demise is said to be multiple organ failure. Mr. Patel was a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat and was one of the closest advisers of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He started his career in 1976 by contesting local body elections in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.
He was an eight-time MP from the western state—three times in the Lok Sabha (1977-1989) and five times in the Rajya Sabha (1993-2020). He also used to be the treasurer of the All India Congress Committee.
His son, Faisal, tweeted: With profound grief & sorrow, I regret to announce the sad and untimely demise of my father, Mr. Ahmed Patel at 25/11/2020, 03:30 AM. After testing positive for COVID-19 around a month back, his health worsened further due to multiple organ failures.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, condoling the death of one of the stalwarts of the party, said that she has lost an “irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend”. Her son Rahul Gandhi called Mr. Patel as a ‘pillar of the Congress party’ and tweeted: “He lived and breathed Congress and stood with the party through its most difficult times. He was a tremendous asset.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too condoled the death of the Congress veteran and tweeted: Saddened by the demise of Ahmed Patel Ji. He spent years in public life, serving society. Known for his sharp mind, his role in strengthening the Congress Party would always be remembered.
Former Prime Minister too remembered Mr. Patel and termed his demise to be an irreparable loss to the Congress. His role during the UPA Government regime of 2004-2014 was a crucial one. Though not a minister in the cabinet, he was one of the chief troubleshooters and coordinators between the government and the party.
Incidentally, on October 1, while disclosing that he had tested positive for COVID-19, Mr. Patel had urged all those who came into contact with him to undergo self-isolation.
