Congressional Senior Leader Manmohan Singh on Wednesday called his party colleague Ahmed Patel “one of the most trusted leaders of the Congress Party and a great friend of mine,” as he recalled lawmaker Rajya Sabha. Patel died that same day at the age of 71.
Patel, who had been in critical condition for the past few days, was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on November 15 after developing complications. His son Faisal said he died at 3.30 am. The parliamentarian had tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on October 1 and was hospitalized weeks later, on November 15.
“It saddens me to hear the shocking news of Ahmed Patel’s untimely death. Ahmed Patel ji was one of the most trusted leaders of the Congress Party and a great friend of mine. His passing is an irreparable loss for the Congress Party. My condolences to the grieving family members, “Singh, the former prime minister, said in a statement.
Ahmed Patel was one of the key strategists in Congress and held several important roles within the party. Patel was also a MP eight times: he was a member of Gujarat’s Rajya Sabha five times and served as a Lok Sabha MP three times.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared his condolences and, in a tweet, highlighted Patel’s role in strengthening the Congress party. The Acting President of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, called him “an irreplaceable friend and colleague” in her statement.
Several congressional leaders paid tribute to the parliamentarian. Wayanad MP for Congress, Rahul Gandhi, who is currently in Guwahati to attend the final rites of another veteran congressional politician and former top minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, called Patel a “pillar of the Congress party.” Congress leader Kapil Sibal wrote a short poem in memory of Ahmed Patel, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said his death “leaves a huge void.”
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