Vadodara: Senior BJP leader and Manjalpur MLA Yogesh Patel passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80 following a cardiac ailment. He had been undergoing treatment at Sterling Hospital in Vadodara, where he was admitted two days ago.

Popularly known as “Kaka” among supporters and residents, Patel was one of Vadodara’s most influential political figures. He won the Raopura Assembly constituency twice, in 2002 and 2007, and continued his winning streak from the Manjalpur constituency from 2012 onwards. He was re-elected from Manjalpur for a third consecutive term in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Patel was regarded as one of Gujarat’s senior-most legislators and also served as the state’s Minister for Narmada Development and Housing in the Vijay Rupani-led government. During his tenure, he played a key role in accelerating development projects in Vadodara and central Gujarat.

Beyond politics, Patel was closely associated with Vadodara’s cultural and social life. He played a significant role in promoting traditional festivals such as Navratri and Ganeshotsav and was instrumental in giving prominence to the city’s iconic “Shivji Ki Sawari” procession.

Born into a family engaged in the textile business, Patel began his public life through social activism and student movements. He later founded organisations such as the Vadodara Vikas Manch and contested local body elections before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1995. He went on to become one of the party’s strongest leaders in Vadodara.

With Patel’s demise, the Gujarat Assembly has once again lost one of its senior-most members. Earlier this year, the Umreth Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of MLA Govind Parmar on March 6. The vacancy was later filled in a by-election won by his son. DeshGujarat