Former Gujarat chief minister and a towering leader who played a key role in building the BJP in the state, Keshubhai Patel, passed away after prolonged illness on Thursday morning.
Patel (92) had recovered from COVID-19 recently and was rushed to a hospital in Ahmedabad Thursday morning following health complications.
Keshubhai Patel had been admitted to Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad just 10 days before his health suddenly deteriorated. He was later discharged after improvement, but he died after sudden deterioration in his health. He had multiple health problems. He breathed his last at 11:55 a.m. on Thursday, said Dr. Akshay of Sterling Hospital.
The last rites of Patel were performed at the crematorium at Sector 30, Gandhinagar in the evening with full state honours. The state cabinet met to pay tribute to the departed leader. Earlier, Keshubhai’s body was taken to the BJP office ‘Kamalam’ for last darshans.
A stalwart leader, Keshubhai headed the first BJP-led government in Gujarat in 1995. Popularly known as the “grand old man” (Bhishma Pitamaha) of the BJP in Gujarat, he mentored generations of the party leaders including Narendra Modi. Modi succeeded Keshubhai as chief minister of Gujarat and later went on to become the Prime Minister.
President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, “With the demise of Keshubhai Patel, former Gujarat chief minister, 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 an extraordinary rapport with masses.”
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. PM Modi also tweeted a smiling photo of him and the former chief minister, and called Patel a mentor who “groomed many younger karyakartas including me”.
“Keshubhai mentored and groomed many younger Karyakartas including me. Everyone loved his affable nature. His demise is an irreparable loss. We are all grieving today. My thoughts are with his family and well-wishers. Spoke to his son Bharat and expressed condolences. Om Shanti,” PM Modi 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.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah too condoled the death of Keshubhai Patel and said his long public life was devoted to the service of the people of the state. “His long public life was devoted to the service of the people of Gujarat. With the death of Keshubhai, a void has been created in the politics of Gujarat which is not going to be filled easily. My condolences to his family,” Shah tweeted in Hindi.
The home minister said Patel, while in the BJP, played an important role in strengthening the party in Gujarat and as a trustee of the Somnath Temple, he always supported the development of the temple. Shah added that Patel will always remain in people’s memory for his work and behaviour.
Keshubhai Patel was Gujarat’s CM from March 1995 to October 1995 and from March 1998 to October 2001. Keshubhai quit the BJP and floated the Gujarat Parivartan Party, which performed poorly in 2012 Assembly polls and merged with the BJP in 2014.
Born in Visavadar town of Junagadh district in 1928, Patel joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1945 as a pracharak. He started his political career as a worker for the Jan Sangh.
Meanwhile, condolences on Keshubhai’s demise came pouring in. Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel tweeted, “the news of the death of Shri Keshubhai Patel, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat and the President of Shri Somnath Trust, is very sad.” She offered her condolences to the departed soul.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, BJP state President C. R. Patil, former BJP state President Jitu Vaghani, Rajya Sabha MP Narhari Amin and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel paid tributes to Keshubhai. In his condolence message, BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said, “People will always remember Keshubhai’s contribution for the development of BJP from Jana Sangh and in the overall development of Gujarat.”
Gautam Adani, a well-known businessman, also arrived at his residence in Gandhinagar to lay a wreath at Keshubhai Patel’s body. Praveenbhai Togadia, a one-time close associate of Keshubhai and former president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Anil Mukim, state Chief Secretary, and Congress acting president Hardik Patel also paid floral tributes to Keshubhai.
As regards his personal life, Keshubhai was married to Lilaben. He had five sons and one daughter. Bapa, as he was popularly known as, also went through a lot of traumas in his personal life. Keshubhai’s wife Lilaben Patel died in 2006. His son Praveen Patel passed away in 2017. In 2018, his second son Jagdish Patel died of a heart attack. He struggled a lot from running the grain mill to reaching the post of Chief Minister.
