Veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', released today, incorrectly mentions 2022 as the year her close aide Ahmed Patel died. Patel, who was 71, died in November 2020, two years before the date cited in the memoir.Recalling Patel's role in her political journey, Sonia Gandhi, 79, writes that he continued to serve as her political secretary until he succumbed to Covid-19 in 2022.

She added that his death left a void in the Congress and a personal absence that she felt deeply.But, Patel died on November 25, 2020, after testing positive for Covid-19 on October 1 that year. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on November 15, ten days before his death.

The Congress veteran was among Sonia Gandhi's closest confidants and played a key role in advising her on party affairs, political alliances and organisational challenges. Alongside senior leaders such as Ambika Soni and Madhavrao Scindia, he was part of the circle of political colleagues she consulted during her early years in public life.

Widely known within the Congress as 'AP', Patel was a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat and had also served as an adviser to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. His political career began early, with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi selecting him to contest the 1977 Lok Sabha election from Gujarat's Bharuch when he was just 28.Despite his considerable influence within the party, Patel preferred to stay away from government positions and operate behind the scenes.

He became one of Sonia Gandhi's most trusted strategists, helping navigate coalition negotiations, political disagreements and internal party crises. In her memoir, Sonia Gandhi devotes considerable space to describing Patel's importance to the Congress and her own political functioning."A loyal party colleague, approachable day and night, he came to play an important role as a troubleshooter, ready to listen patiently to disgruntled colleagues.

Deeply religious but secular to the core in his politics, he kept a low profile while functioning as a coordinator between our party and our allies," she writes.Sonia Gandhi further describes Patel as a leader who built considerable influence across the political spectrum but could be unforgiving towards those who crossed him.The 502-page memoir traces Sonia Gandhi's life from her childhood in Italy and her years in the UK to her meeting with Rajiv Gandhi, her move to India and her eventual entry into politics. The book also includes photographs from her family life, featuring her parents, siblings and moments with her late husband.- Ends