Ahmed Patel

Ahmed Patel Biography

Ahmed Patel is an influential politician belonging to Indian National Congress. He currently serves as the political secretary and advisor to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He is Sonia’s most-trusted aide and the most powerful man in the Congress party after the Gandhis. Patel was inducted into the Rajya Sabha for his fourth term in the year 2005. Secretary in the Jawahar Bhawan Trust, Joint Secretary in the All India Congress Committee, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister and Treasurer to the All India Congress Committee are the major posts held by him. He is known for keeping low profile and avoiding media attention.

He belongs to a small village Piraman of Bharuch, Gujarat. Mohammed Ishakji Patel and Hawaben Mohammed bhai are his parents. He completed graduation from Shree Jayendra Puri Arts and Science College, Bharuch. He is the second Muslim Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat. In the political career he is low-profile, silent, secretive, inscrutable and cagey. He has been gifted with the political talent of giving a patient hearing to the political issues and responses with sweet smiles only when asked awkward questions. In many senior leaders’s opinion, he cherishes his role of "kingmaker. The way he has won Congress President’s trust is a matter of political interest in the media and in political parties and has a good hold over the 125-year old party over a decade.

He is a great admirer of Rajiv Gandhi too. He is called ‘Ahmedbhai’ inside the party. He was spotted by Sanjay Gandhi, and still now, he continues his association with Nehru family. When Narendra Modi told in a Doordarshan interview that Ahmed used to frequently visit him at home, Ahmed vowed to quit public life if claims were proven to be true.

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Updated: May 19, 2014