Rajeev Satav, one of the Congress’s prominent young leaders and Rajya Sabha member, passed away on Sunday after he had appeared to have recovered from Covid. He was 46.

The Congress MP from Maharashtra had tested positive for Covid on April 22 and had been admitted to a private hospital in Pune the next day. He had been on ventilator support.

After testing negative on May 9, Satav was diagnosed with a Cytomegalovirus infection and his condition turned critical.

“He had recovered from Covid-19. He had been taking immunosuppressant drugs as he was suffering from spondylitis and as his immunity was low, he contracted Covid-19. He later developed a bacterial infection due to which he had fibrosis in the lungs. Despite the best efforts of doctors, he succumbed to the infection,” Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said.

Satav had been in charge of the Congress’s affairs in the important state of Gujarat and was one of the key members of Rahul Gandhi’s team. A former Youth Congress president, Satav strongly believed in probity in public life and was committed to clean politics and secularism.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi said she was deeply pained by Satav’s death, describing it as a “personal loss”. She spoke to his mother and wife and expressed her heartfelt condolences. Satav, who hailed from Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, leaves behind two children aged 11 and 16.

Sonia described Satav as a rising star of the party who was known for his unfailing dedication and sincerity. “As Lok Sabha member (from 2014 to 2019), he championed people’s issues and fought for the ideals of the Constitution. He was a rising star of the Congress party,” she said.

Rahul, who had invested heavily in Satav in terms of future politics, tweeted: “I’m very sad at the loss of my friend Rajeev Satav. He was a leader with huge potential who embodied the ideals of the Congress. It’s a big loss for us all. My condolences and love to his family.”

Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted: “In Rajeev Satav we have lost one of our brightest colleagues. Clean of heart, sincere, deeply committed to the ideals of the Congress & devoted to the people of India. I have no words, just prayers for his young wife & children. May they have the strength to carry on without him.”