Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani dies in Ahmedabad plane crash, confirms C R Patil

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has died following injuries sustained in the Air India AI-171 plane crash on Thursday afternoon, as per Gujarat minister C R Patil.

The Air India flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was headed from Ahmedabad to London when it crashed during take-off at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The incident occurred shortly after 1:38 pm, with over 230 passengers and crew on board.

Rupani, who was among the passengers, was rushed to Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad in a critical condition but succumbed to his injuries, according to preliminary reports.

The aircraft reportedly collided with a tree moments after takeoff, causing it to veer off course and crash into a nearby airport structure. Emergency crews responded immediately to the scene.

Authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Air India has confirmed the incident and stated that further details will be provided through official channels.

Who was Vijay Rupani?

Vijay Rupani was a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a prominent political figure in Gujarat. He served as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021, across two terms. 

He succeeded Anandiben Patel and took oath as CM on 7 August 2016. He retained his Rajkot West seat in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, defeating Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru, and was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader on 22 December 2017, continuing in office with Nitin Patel as Deputy Chief Minister.

Rupani resigned as Chief Minister on 11 September 2021 but remained an influential figure within the BJP. Most recently, the party’s Parliamentary Board appointed him as a central observer, alongside Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, for the selection of the legislative party leader in Maharashtra.

He had been associated with the BJP since its inception and played a vital role in its organisational structure in Gujarat and nationally.

On the personal front, Rupani was married to Anjali Rupani, an active member of the BJP's women’s wing. The couple had two children Rushabh, an engineering graduate, and Radhika, who is married.