The body of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was taken to Ankleshwar in Bharuch district of Gujarat on Wednesday where it will be kept at a hospital for night before his funeral in his native village Piraman on Thursday morning, party leaders said.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will pay his last respects to Patel in Piraman village on Thursday morning, Congress in-charge for Gujarat Rajeev Satav told reporters.
The mortal remains of Patel were brought to Vadodara by air in evening and were taken to Ankleshwar in an ambulance by road, leaders said.
The body will be kept at a hospital in Ankleshwar in the night. It will be taken to Piraman village in morning for the funeral, a party leader said.
Patel (71), the top strategist and troubleshooter of the Congress party, died in a Gurugram hospital in the early hours of Wednesday following complications related to COVID-19.
Many senior leaders of Gujarat Congress turned up at Vadodara airport to pay their last respects to Patel late
evening.
"Ahhmed Patel who played a big role in giving a direction to the Congress is no more with us. It is a great loss to the Congress party as well as for Gujarat and rest of the country. He worked on all posts of the All India Congress Committee. He knew every worker by his name. Whenever we faced any issue, we would go to him for guidance," said Satav.
He said Rahul Gandhi will reach Patel's native village to pay hislast respects on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress leader Paresh Dhanani appealed to the party workers to offer prayers for the departed leader at their homes rather than rushing to attend the funeral.
Dhanani asked party supporters to adhere to the government's COVID-19 guidelines voluntarily and not gather in large numbers for the funeral.
