Congress leader Anand Sharma condoles demise of 'crisis manager' Ahmed Patel

New Delhi [India], November 25 (ANI): Congress leader Anand Sharma expressed his condolences on the demise of party veteran Ahmed Patel on Wednesday. He remembered Patel as the party's "crisis manager".

"Ahmed Patel's demise is a big shock for us. He was a strong pillar of the Congress party. He was a skilled party in-charge. In a true sense, he was Congress' crisis manager," Anand Sharma said.

Ahmed Patel, who was undergoing treatment at a Gurugram hospital after testing positive for the COVID-19, breathed his last after multi-organ failure in the wee hours of Wednesday, his son Faisal confirmed.

Party leader Ashwani Kumar termed Patel as the ultimate "troubleshooter" and someone who invested heavily in personal relationships.

"I am extremely saddened by the passing away of Ahmed Patel, a friend and colleague of many years. An indispensable troubleshooter for the Congress party, he was a friend to many across the political spectrum and invested heavily in personal relationships," Kumar said in a video message.

Patel, also the treasurer of the Indian National Congress, had tested positive for the COVID-19 on October 1 and was admitted to the intensive care unit of Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on November 15.

Born on August 21, 1949, Patel pursued BSc at Shree Jayendra Puri Arts and Science College, Bharuch, South Gujarat University. (ANI)