Congress leader Ahmed Patel laid to rest in Bharuch

Bharuch (Gujarat) [India], November 26 (ANI): Congress leader Ahmed Patel was laid to rest in Bharuch, Gujarat on Thursday afternoon.

Former party president Rahul Gandhi was also present here to pay his last respects to the party veteran.

The mortal remains of Patel, who died following COVID-19 complications at the age of 71 on Wednesday, was brought to his native place here on Wednesday night itself.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, who was undergoing treatment at a Gurugram hospital after testing positive for the COVID-19, breathed his last in the wee hours of Wednesday, after fighting the related complications for over a month.

Patel started his political journey in the Congress Youth Wing and became a prominent leader during the Janta Party period after Emergency.

He was elected as a councillor of Bharuch Municipality of Gujarat at the age of 25 and went on to become the political secretary of Sonia Gandhi. He remained a bridge during the UPA-I tenure between the party and the government.

He represented Gujarat eight times in the Parliament, including three times in the lower house between 1977-1989. He represented Congress five times in the Upper House since 1993. (ANI)