Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel died on Wednesday (November 25) morning at a private hospital in Gurugram due to COVID-19 related complications. The 71-year-old was one of the senior leaders of the party and the closest aides of Sonia Gandhi. Confirming the news, Patel’s son Faisal informed about the death of his father Ahmed Patel from multiple organ failure 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 said in a tweet.
The mortal remains of Ahmed Patel will be taken to his native place in Gujarat’s Bharuch where his last rites will be performed. Patel belonged to Piramal village of Bharuch district. Family members said that Patel’s last wish to get buried at his native village.
Patel (71), who was critical for a few days, was admitted to the Medanta hospital in Gurugram on November 15 after he developed complications.
“AP” to his friends and “Ahmed Bhai” to colleagues, Patel was one of the closest aides of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her political secretary for a long time.
He was the trouble-shooter of the Congress and had steered the party out of ticklish situations many a time. He was the grand old party’s pointsman for building consensus on key issues with other parties and leaders.
A soft-spoken and affable man, Patel was well respected and had friends across the aisle and in different spheres. The veteran Congress leader had himself announced on Twitter on October 1 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and all those who had come in close contact of him should also get tested.
Patel was currently a member of the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. He was an eight-time parliamentarian — five times in the Rajya Sabha, three times in the Lok Sabha. His last Rajya Sabha election in 2017 was contested very keenly amid charges of horse-trading.
He was currently the Congress treasurer, a post that he occupied thrice.
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