Sabarmati: Gujarat Congress incharge and Rajya Sabha member of Congress party Rajiv Satav (46) passed away today due to Covid19 infection related complications in a hospital at Pune in his home-state Maharasthra. Satav had tested positive for coronavirus infection on April 22. He had been admitted in Jehangir hospital for last 23 days.

For Gujarat Congress, this is another major loss in pandemic period after sad death of State party unit’s father figure Ahmed Patel last year.

Rahul Gandhi aide Satav was appointed incharge of Gujarat Congress in March 2018 by then Congress president Rahul Gandhi, replacing previous State Congress incharge Ashok Gehlot. Prior to this, Satav had in year 2017 general elections of State assembly played role as Saurashtra region incharge of Congress party. Satav was Lok Sabah member during 2014-2019 from Maharashtra. He decided not to re-contest in year 2019 Lok Sabha general elections and his seat was won by opposition candidate. He was later elected to Rajya Sabha. With Satav as incharge, Congress performed well in Saurashtra region in 2017 general elections of Gujarat Assembly, but party couldn’t win a single Lok Sabha seat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, witnessed huge defection of party MLAs, lost all district panchayats and municipal corporations and didn’t see any major electoral success. Satav’s letter supporting activist Medha Patkar for her agitation against Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam had created huge controversy. He had later deleted his tweet in which he had posted that letter. DeshGujarat