(G.N.S) Dt. 29
Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar
Former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, who led the first BJP government in Gujarat in 1995, passed away at 93 years at a hospital in Ahmedabad where he was rushed Thursday morning following health complications.
Confirming the news to media, his son Bharat said that although he had recovered from Covid 19, “some damage had been done to his health, as he also suffered from cancer of the prostate”. Patel had tested positive for Covid on September 18.
“We tried to revive him but couldn’t…He was declared dead at 11:55 am. He didn’t die due to Corona,” said Dr Akshay Kiledar of Sterling Hospital. Mr Patel had earlier tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered later.
Keshubhai will be cremated today at 5 pm. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who was campaigning in Gadhada, cut it short to rush to Gandhinagar. “Right from the days of Jan Sangh he raised this banyan tree that is the BJP and dedicated his entire life to the nation”, Rupani said in a message adding that his void would never be filled.
“With the demise of Keshubhai Patel the nation has lost a stalwart leader. His long public life was dedicated to improving the lives of millions, especially in villages. As champion of farmers’ causes, he enjoyed extraordinary rapport with masses,” President Ram Nath Kovind said today.
Saying he was deeply pained at the senior leader’s death, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called Mr Patel a “stalwart” who had played a significant role in strengthening the BJP in Gujarat. The former Chief Minister was originally a member of the Jan Sangh, which was later disbanded to form the BJP in 1980.
Expressing grief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Patel an “outstanding leader who cared for every section of society.” “Our beloved and respected Keshubhai has passed away…I am deeply pained and saddened. His life was devoted towards the progress of Gujarat and the empowerment of every Gujarati,” he tweeted. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani paid tributes to the BJP stalwart saying Patel’s death is a huge loss for the people of Gujarat.
Keshubhai Savdasbhai Patel served as Chief Minister of Gujarat for a few months in 1995 and then from March 1998 to October of 2001, succeeded by Narendra Modi. In 2012, Mr Patel quit the BJP to form the Gujarat Parivartan Party, which later merged with the BJP.
