A loyalist to the Nehru Gandhi family, Ahmed Patel dies at the age of 71. The veteran passed away due to multiple organ failure and complications due to COVID-19.
In a tweet at around 4 am, his son, Faisal Patel, said that the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat died at 3.30 am
“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. May Allah grant him Jannatul firdaus, inshallah,” he tweeted, requesting all their well-wishers to adhere to the COVID-19 regulations by avoiding mass gatherings.
“I have lost an irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend. I mourn his passing and I feel deeply for his bereaved family to whom I offer my sincere feelings of empathy and support,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday while condoling the death of Ahmed Patel.
The Prime minister also offered his condolences to the family.
“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. Spoke to his son Faisal and expressed condolences. May Ahmed Bhai’s soul rest in peace,” PM Modi tweeted.
Here is his Political History
Ahmed Patel was the go-to man for the party. Though he kept quiet he wielded huge amounts of power and worked meticulously to execute decisions.
Patel also served as an effective connection between the party and government during the two terms of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) between 2004 and 2014.
As political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he had access to leadership that no other leader in the party had and worked the channels to work out various issues.
Ahmed Patel was also a long-serving member of the Congress Working Committee.
Patel had earlier also served as the treasurer of the party when Congress was out of power from 1996-2000. He had also been involved with the work of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
He was appointed party treasurer in August 2018 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections as Congress faced a fund crunch.
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Patel was unhappy over the letter that a group of 23 Congress leaders wrote to Sonia giving their suggestions for the party’s revamp as he believed that it would have been better if they could have conveyed their views by meeting her.