In Ahmed Patel, the Congress has lost an irreplaceable leader. He will be remembered for being one of the sharpest political minds and a leader who held his party together as a tough, unifying force. The greatest troubleshooter and consensus builder whose political astuteness was admired by all leaders across the spectrum.
While the top brass of the Congress has talked about the void that Patel leaves behind, the younger generation remembers him as a tall leader who they got to learn a lot from.
“He was more comfortable behind the scenes. But he knew more people than anyone else both within the party as well in other political organisations. He leaves behind a space no one can fill,” said Congress MP Karti Chidambaram.
“Ahmedji had many distinctive qualities. He used to build consensus on the most contentious of issues. He always ensured unity within the party. He would encourage the youth, the party president referred to him as a close friend. He was a problem solver, always standing tall to help the party out of trouble,” said party’s Uttar Pradesh unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu.
“I remember when I was a part of the screening committee for Gujarat elections, we were asked by party president to speak to senior leaders and consult them on ticket distribution. I can never forget what Ahmed Patel told us. He said, ‘I don’t have any candidate of my choice. But please share the list of those people who you are not giving a ticket to. I will speak to them and ensure they work for the party in the election. I’ll convey to them how much we value and need them.’ He basically made sure that even those who didn’t get the ticket know how important they are to the party and he would ensure that they work in elections. This is a big thing and reveals his stature,” said Lallu.
Working silently to strengthen the party and keeping the cadre motivated is something Patel was known for. Party leader Jaiveer Shergill shared a similar anecdote of how Patel spoke to him when he lost out on a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha election.
“When I was denied a Lok Sabha ticket, he was the only leader who called me and took me for lunch as a sign of support and care and told me ‘don’t be disheartened, it is important to remain aboard the train, compartments can change anytime, never make the mistake of getting off at the platform out of dejection’,” said Shergill.
It is perhaps this rare quality of inter-personal relations that made Patel so acceptable and appealing to all leaders across the different factions within the party — the old guard and new. “He was the glue that held it all together.”
“He was a young leader’s friend, who understood their struggle, ambitions and disappointments. If I had to describe him as an institution, then he played role of both grievance redress and ambition fulfilment forum. His presence gave a sense of comfort and assurance that if ever anything goes wrong, Ahmedji is there to protect,” Shergill added.
Recalling Patel’s connect with the youth within the party, Shergill spoke about experiencing the Ahmedabad ‘night life’ with him after a Congress Working Committee meeting.
“Once during a CWC meeting in Ahmedabad, we finished work at 12 in night. When everyone was about to retire, he said ‘wait let me show you Ahmedabad night life’ and took us to a famous street food lane and said ‘this is my version of partying — there you get to eat best food and interact with locals.’ Also, during free time, he used to often ask me about latest apps, gadgets and different eating places for kebabs,” said Shergill.
Patel was known to be the backbone of the organisation, nothing missed his eye. From the smallest to the biggest decision, Patel was ‘in the know’ and involved. “The fact that he paid attention to even the student wing and showed us that he cared, made him a great leader,” said National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) president Neeraj Kundan.
“In December 2019, when NSUI workers were brutally lathi charged by the police and many of us were detained, he was the first leader to call us within 20 minutes of the incident. He asked us how we are and said ‘I am coming to meet you and please let me know if any I can arrange any medical help for you.’ These kind of things show how closely he used to monitor everything. That day I felt like my guardian had called me,” said Kundan.
“His healing personal touch will always be missed. I have lost a fatherly figure and a mentor with his demise,” said Rohan Gupta, Congress social media head.
“Loyalty and integrity are the cornerstones of his many teachings which I have kept imbibed in my heart. His demise is a big loss personally to me and all young workers like me whom he always motivated and provided opportunity to grow,” added Gupta.
In the grand old party, access to the ‘top brass’ is known to be a challenge. Despite being one of the closest aides of Sonia Gandhi and a key member of the Congress ‘high command’, Patel was anything but inaccessible.
“He was the man for all seasons and reasons. He was easy to reach to. He was one of the reasons why I got to contest elections, he backed me. He was somebody I could go to anytime… to convey a point of view or seek advice. There was no such thing as formality with him,” said Chidambaram.
“He would say ‘don’t waste time on pleasantries and come straight to the point’. Whenever any request was made to him, he always saw to it that the work was done promptly,” said party spokesperson Shama Mohammed.
“Even though he held such an important position, he was the most accessible senior leader for young leadership. You could call him anytime. He used to reply immediately. Whenever anyone, specifically young leaders, faced any difficulties or challenges, he was our mentor who always guided us in right direction,” said Kundan.
“No one can take his place. He was a legend and he will remain alive in our thoughts always.”
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