New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) The Congress paid tributes to veteran party leader Ahmed Patel on his first death anniversary on Thursday, with its chief Sonia Gandhi saying his affable style, untiring loyalty and dedication to the grand old party is remembered fondly by all.

A top strategist of the Congress, Patel died in a Gurugram hospital on this day last year. He was suffering from complications related to COVID-19.

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Patel was one of the closest aides of Sonia Gandhi and her political adviser for a long time. He was the troubleshooter of the Congress and had steered the party out of difficult situations several times.

"One year since Ahmed Bhai left us. His affable style, untiring loyalty and dedication to the Congress party is remembered fondly by all. He remains in our thoughts," Sonia Gandhi said in her message, which was tweeted by the party on its official Twitter handle.

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Former party chief Rahul Gandhi said losing Patel has been a tremendous loss to the Congress family.

"On his first death anniversary, I remember Shri Ahmed Patel ji with great respect and affection. Losing him has been a tremendous loss to the Congress family," he tweeted.

"His memory remains a guiding light for me and for the Party. He is dearly missed," he added.

Paying tributes to Patel, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the entire Congress family remembers his strategic abilities and services as a true soldier of the party.

"Ahmed ji was our guide and a hand of trust on the shoulders of Congress leaders and workers," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

The opposition party, on its official Twitter handle, said, "We pay tributes to Veteran Congress Leader Shri Ahmed Patel on his death anniversary. His dedication to the Gandhian ideology and defence of the democratic and constitutional values of our nation shall remain an inspiration for generations to come."

Congress chief ministers Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) paid tributes to Patel and lauded his contributions to the party. Gehlot also paid floral tributes to Patel at his grave in Ankleshwar, Bharuch (Gujarat).

Senior Congress leaders K C Venugopal, Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik, Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot, among others, also paid tributes to Patel.

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