Congress MP Rajeev Satav has passed away on Sunday at the age of 46 in Pune, days after recovering from the COVID-19 viral infection. The Congress leader was serving as an MP from Maharashtra in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament. Several national leaders from Prime Minister Modi to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had paid tributes to the deceased parliamentarian. 

According to reports, Satav was tested positive for the COVID-19 viral infection on April 22 and he was admitted to a private hospital in Pune and he was put under ventilator support. He had then recovered from the pandemic but died of a bacterial infection. Maharashtra Health minister Rajesh Tope said, "He (Satav) had recovered from COVID-19. He was taking some immunosuppressant drugs as he was suffering from spondylitis and as his immunity was low, he had contracted COVID-19."

"He later developed a bacterial infection due to which he had fibrosis in the lungs. Despite best efforts by doctors, he succumbed to the infection", Tope added. According to reports, after recovering from COVID-19, Satav was diagnosed with Cytomegalovirus infection and his condition become critical. Cytomegalovirus is a common virus spread through body fluids like blood, urine, saliva, breast milk, tears, semen, and vaginal fluids. 

A native of Maharashtra's Hingoli district, Rajeev Satav leaves behind two children aged 11 and 16. In his tribute note, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and wrote, "Anguished by the passing away of my friend from Parliament, Shri Rajeev Satav Ji. He was an upcoming leader with much potential. Condolences to his family, friends, and supporters. Om Shanti."

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called Satav a rising star of the party who was known for his dedication and sincerity. Gandhi said that she is deeply pained by the tragic loss of the party leader and stated that Satav's demise is also a personal loss for her. In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, "Rajeev Satav was only 46 hours old. He rose from the grassroots to holding many responsibilities in a short time due to his unfailing dedication, sincerity, and hard work."

"He served as the Indian Youth Congress president, AICC secretary, and the party's Gujarat-in-charge. As a Lok Sabha member, he championed people's issues and fought for the ideals of the constitution. He was a rising star of the Congress party", she added. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "I'm very sad at the loss of my friend Rajeev Satav. He was a leader with huge potential who embodied the ideals of Congress. It's a big loss for us all. My condolences and love to his family."