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In Ahmed Patel, the Congress has misplaced an irreplaceable chief. He shall be remembered for being one of many sharpest political minds and a chief who held his celebration collectively as a robust, unifying pressure. The biggest troubleshooter and consensus builder whose political astuteness was admired by all leaders throughout the spectrum.
While the highest brass of the Congress has talked in regards to the void that Patel leaves behind, the youthful technology remembers him as a tall chief who they acquired to be taught 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,” mentioned 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,” mentioned celebration’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,” mentioned Lallu.
Working silently to strengthen the celebration and conserving the cadre motivated is one thing Patel was identified for. Party chief Jaiveer Shergill shared a comparable anecdote of how Patel spoke to him when he misplaced 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’,” mentioned Shergill.
It is maybe this uncommon high quality of inter-personal relations that made Patel so acceptable and interesting to all leaders throughout the totally different factions throughout the celebration — the previous 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 join with the youth throughout the celebration, Shergill spoke about experiencing the Ahmedabad ‘night life’ with him after a Congress Working Committee assembly.
“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,” mentioned Shergill.
Patel was identified to be the spine of the organisation, nothing missed his eye. From the smallest to the largest choice, Patel was ‘in the know’ and concerned. “The fact that he paid attention to even the student wing and showed us that he cared, made him a great leader,” mentioned 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,” mentioned Kundan.
“His healing personal touch will always be missed. I have lost a fatherly figure and a mentor with his demise,” mentioned 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 previous celebration, entry to the ‘top brass’ is understood to be a problem. Despite being one of many closest aides of Sonia Gandhi and a key member of the Congress ‘high command’, Patel was something however 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,” mentioned 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,” mentioned celebration 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,” mentioned Kundan.
“No one can take his place. He was a legend and he will remain alive in our thoughts always.”
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