A senior leader of India's Congress party, Ahmed Patel, has died of coronavirus related complications, Reuters reported quoting his family. Patel is the second veteran from the opposition group to fall victim to the virus in recent days, as total cases in the country touched the 9.2 million mark.

Patel, a lawmaker who was party treasurer and was seen as close to the Gandhi family that leads the party, was detected with Covid-19 a month ago and died of multi-organ failure, his family said in a statement.

“I have lost an irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in a statement.