Ahmed Patel is a senior leader of Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

 party. He is the present political secretary to Congress President and Leader Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...

. Patel is among the core think tank of the INC (Indian National Congress) today. He is one of the crucial leaders in the decision making process of the party at national level. He has also worked alongside Sonia Gandhi and was a key player in getting the Congress Party re-elected in the 15th Lok Sabha.

Early life

Ahmed Patel was born in the village Piraman near the industrial city of Ankleshwar, Bharuch

Bharuch

Bharuch , also known as Broach, is the oldest city in Gujarat, situated at the mouth of the holy river Narmada. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District and a municipality of more than 1,50,000 inhabitants. As Bharuch is a major seaport city, a number of trade activities have...

 in Gujarat to Mohammed Ishakji Patel and Hawaben Mohammedbhai.

He did his B.Sc. at Shree Jayendra Puri Arts and Science College, Bharuch (South Gujarat University) and M.S. University, Baroda.

Political career

In 2005, Patel was inducted into the Rajya Sabha for a fourth term, unchallenged. He plays a decisive role in Gujarat political affairs for the Congress party.

Though considered Sonia Gandhi's right hand man and chief strategist, Patel has been kept out of government in the 15th Lok Sabha. He maintains a low profile and avoids media and public glare.

He is only the second Muslim after Ehsan Jafri

Ehsan Jafri

Ehsan Jafri was an ex-Parliamentarian who was burnt to death in 2002 in his own home by a group of unknown rioters during the Gujarat riots of 2002. He had been a noted trade unionist, and was one of the top party officials of the Congress party in Gujarat...

to be elected in Gujarat as an Lok Sabha MP. He is one of the few politicians who were spotted by Sanjay Gandhi but continued to wield their clout with Indira, Rajiv and now Sonia. It is rumoured that he was offered ministership by both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, but he turned it down owing the fact that he remains to be low profile and away from the dirty politics commonly associated with ministerial posts.

Positions held

• Agriculturist; Managing Trustee, Gujarat Rahat Samiti; President
• Gujarat Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, 1977-82
• Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, January, 1986 to October, 1988
• Chairman, Sanskritik Vikas Mandal, Ankleshwar, District Bharuch;
• Director, (i) Indian Airlines, July, 1992 to May,1993
• Bharuch District Cooperative Bank from September,1977 till date;
• General Secretary, All India Congress Committee, September, 1985 to January, 1986 and May, 1992 to October, 1996
• Secretary, Jawahar Bhawan Trust, August 25, 1988 till date
• Joint Secretary, All India Congress Committee, September, 1983 to December, 1984
• Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister, January-September, 1985
• Treasurer, All India Congress Committee since October, 1996
• He is also an Member of,

(i) Sixth Lok Sabha, 1977-79,

(ii) Seventh Lok Sabha, 1980-84,

(iii) Eighth Lok Sabha, 1985-89,

(iv) Congress Working Committee, April, 1992 till date,

(v) Committee on Subordinate Legislation, 1994-96,

(vi) Committee on Railways,1995-96,(vii) Committee on Communications, 1996-97,

(viii) Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Railways,1993-97,

(ix) Court of the Aligarh Muslim University,1995-98,

(x) Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas

(xi) Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Civil Aviation; elected to the Rajya Sabha in August.
[good freind to shariq pathan kota rajasthan]