Sonia Gandhi Gets Her Adviser Ahmed Patel's Death Year Wrong In Memoir

Sonia Gandhi, writing in her memoir 'Belonging: A Journey Of Love', got the death year of her closest political advisers, Ahmed Patel, wrong.

In 2020, mourning the death of Ahmed Patel, who was believed to be part of every key decision she made, Gandhi wrote she lost an "irreplaceable comrade, faithful colleague and friend". 

In 2026, in her memoir, Gandhi writes "he remained my political secretary till sadly he fell victim to the Covid epidemic in 2022, leaving a vacuum in the party and an absence I felt personally." 

Ahmed Patel, also the treasurer of the Congress, had tested positive for the Covid-19 on October 1, 2020 and had been admitted to the ICU of Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon on November 15. He died 10 days later, on November 25. However, the book wrongly mentions the death year as 2022.

READ | "Irreplaceable Comrade": Sonia Gandhi Mourns "Friend" Ahmed Patel

Ambika Soni, Madhavrao Scindia, joined by Ahmed Patel were part of a group Sonia Gandhi consulted on political matters during the early years of her political life. 

Ahmed Patel, "AP" as he was called in the party, was the Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat and had also advised former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. As a Youth Congress leader, he was chosen at 28 by Indira Gandhi to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 1977 from Bharuch in Gujarat.

He refused to join the government and preferred to remain behind the scenes, advising Sonia Gandhi on alliances, political strategy and party crises.

"A loyal party colleague, approachable day and night, he came to play an important role as a troubleshooter, ready to listen patiently to disgruntled colleagues. Deeply religious but secular to the core in his politics, he kept a low profile while functioning as a coordinator between our party and our allies," writes Gandhi.