C. D. Patel dead

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD, FEB. 22. The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr. C. D. Patel, who led his party to an emphatic victory in the September municipal corporation and panchayat elections in the state despite heavy odds, died here today following a massive heart attack.

A former Deputy Chief Minister and twice member of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Patel had been coordinating the relief and rescue operations by his party in the earthquake-ravaged areas in the State, even ignoring a mild attack he suffered then.

But the stress and strain of the work and continuous touring had a telling effect on the 70-year-old Mr. Patel. He was forced to return to Ahmedabad on Monday and was admitted to the Krishna Heart Institute for checking with complaints of acute pain on his leg. But he suffered a massive attack in the hospital and breathed his last at 4-45 a.m. today. He is survived by his wife, Leelaben, son Sunil and two daughters.

Thousands of Congressmen and senior leaders filed past his body at the GPCC office here where it was kept for about a couple of hours. The Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, telephonically conveyed her condolence to his son, Sunil.

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