Ahmedabad/Vadodara, June 2 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Manjalpur MLA Yogesh Patel passed away on Tuesday afternoon, prompting condolences from Gujarat’s political leadership, who remembered his long public career and contributions to public life. He was 80 years old.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the veteran legislator’s death, describing him as a leader who remained committed to national service and public welfare throughout his political journey.

“I express my grief over the demise of Manjalpur MLA Yogesh Patel. He remained tirelessly devoted to the service of the nation and the people and earned a special place in the hearts of ordinary citizens. I pray that God grants peace to his soul and gives strength to his bereaved family and supporters to bear this loss,” the Chief Minister said.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the news was “extremely saddening”, describing Patel as a popular public representative of Vadodara and a senior BJP leader.

“The news of the demise of Yogesh Patel, the popular public representative of Vadodara city, senior BJP leader and MLA from Manjalpur, is extremely saddening. I pray that God grants eternal peace to his divine soul and gives strength to his bereaved family members and well-wishers to endure this grief,” Sanghavi said.

State BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma said Patel’s decades of service to both the party and the public would be remembered.

“The news of the demise of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Manjalpur MLA Yogesh Patel is extremely saddening. His contribution to public service and the organisation over several decades will always be remembered,” Vishwakarma said.

Patel was one of the BJP’s most senior leaders in Vadodara and had represented the Manjalpur Assembly constituency since its creation following delimitation.

He won consecutive Assembly elections from Manjalpur in 2012, 2017 and 2022, securing a margin of more than one lakh votes in the 2022 election.

He also previously represented the Raopura constituency and was regarded as one of Vadodara’s longest-serving legislators.

In December 2022, he was appointed pro-tem Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly to oversee proceedings until the election of the Speaker.

Known for his grassroots political style and long association with the BJP organisation, Patel remained active in public affairs and civic issues in Vadodara until recent months.

–IANS

mys/uk