Former Gujarat CM Keshubhai Patel passes away

Ahmedabad : Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Keshubhai Patel has passed away on Thusday; he led BJP government in the state in 1995. 93-year-old politician was rushed to the hospital on Thursday morning after medical complications.

His son confirmed the news to The Indian Express and said that although he had recovered from coronavirus completely, the damage was already done to his health. Patel had tested positive for Covid on September 18.

Keshubhai Patel was Gujarat’s CM from March 1995 to October 1995 and from March 1998 to October 2001. Narendra Modi has succeeded him as Gujarat CM in 2001.

Mr Patel quit BJP in 2012 and floated the Gujarat Parivartan Party, which performed poorly in 2012 Assembly polls and merged with the BJP in 2014.

The cremation will be done on Thursday evening at 5 pm.

“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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief on his sad demise. “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.

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. Patel was also the chairman of the Shree Somnath Trust, which manages the famous Somnath temple in Saurashtra region.