Ahmed Patel

Handpicked by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at 28 as youth leader, five-term Rajya Sabha MP and Congress chief troubleshooter Ahmed Patel (71) passed away on Wednesday early morning (November 25). Gandhi had chosen him to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 1977 from Bharuch in Gujarat.

Patel died early this morning after he contracted COVID-19 and battled several other complications due to the same. Patel, who was Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary for 16 years, was also an advisor to former PM Rajiv Gandhi. 

On his demise, Sonia Gandhi said, In Ahmed Patel, I have lost a colleague whose entire life was dedicated to the Congress Party. His faithfulness and dedication, his commitment to his duty, his always being there to help, his generosity were rare qualities that distinguished him from others.

She added, 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.

It was in 2017 when three-term Lok Sabha MP Patel grabbed headlines after then BJP President of Gujarat and election strategist extraordinaire Amit Shah fought tooth and nail to defeat him but Patel eventually outperformed him.

In political circles, Patel was known as a hardcore loyalist of the Gandhi family who was a part of almost every decision making.

An article in Hindustan Times read, “It was an unwritten rule those days that the crew of news channels would switch off their cameras whenever Patel spoke to the media. Journalists would often look for hints from him to confirm their leads.