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

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.

10 Nov 2026, 12:18 · NDTV

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Sonia Gandhi's memoir incorrectly states Ahmed Patel died in 2022 instead of 2020
Patel was a close adviser and Congress treasurer who died of Covid in November 2020
He was a key political strategist and troubleshooter for Sonia Gandhi and the Congress

Will the publisher correct the date in future editions?
New Delhi:

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.

Ahmed Patel's daughter Mumtaz, brushed the error aside and call the memoir a "historic book".

"First of all, I would call it a historic book. For the first time since Jawaharlal Nehru, a member of the Gandhi family has written a personal memoir. It is also a historic book because we generally view political families only through a political prism. However, the incidents and events recorded in history cannot be measured merely through dates and events. This book reveals the people behind the scenes, their strengths, weaknesses and experiences. I would say, a truly extraordinary journey. A woman from Italy came to India, embraced a new family and adopted a new culture. She witnessed personal tragedies, including the loss of her mother-in-law, her brother-in-law and her husband. Despite all this, she reached a position where she played a very significant political role, not only in India but across the world. I am very excited to read the book," she said.

"I have also seen what has been written about my father, Ahmed Patel. One particular line caught my attention. As you can see here, it says, 'He was unforgiving towards those who crossed his path.' I think this reflects my father accurately. He was a deeply loyal and committed person when it came to the Congress party. Whenever he felt that someone was acting against the party's policies or attempting to weaken its leadership, he would take a very firm stand. Mrs Gandhi's description of him in the book reflects how she viewed him...I am happy that his contribution has been acknowledged in its pages," she added, as quoted by news agency ANI.

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