Vijay Rupani, who served as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat, is among over 200 victims of the Air India plane crash. The aircraft was en route from Ahmedabad to London when it tragically went down shortly after takeoff, crashing in the Meghani Nagar area. The president of the Gujarat BJP, C.R. Patil, confirmed Rupani's passing. He was traveling to London to visit his daughter. Reports indicate that Rupani's wife, Anjali Rupani, had been in London for several days and was also heading to see their daughter.

Prior to the incident, Rupani's e-ticket circulated widely on social media, revealing that he was scheduled to return from London to Ahmedabad on June 30. The Ahmedabad police have confirmed that more than 200 individuals aboard the flight did not survive the crash. However, a 40-year-old British national named Ramesh Vishwas has been identified as the sole survivor of this devastating event.

A Glimpse into His Political Career

Rupani was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and held the position of Chief Minister from August 7, 2016, until September 11, 2021, serving two terms. He succeeded Anandiben Patel and maintained his position after winning the Rajkot West constituency in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections. He resigned in September 2021, with Bhupendra Patel taking over the role. In the early stages of his political career, Rupani was elected as a councilor for the Rajkot Municipal Corporation in 1987 and served as the mayor from 1996 to 1997. He later became the general secretary of the BJP's Gujarat unit and chaired the manifesto committee during Keshubhai Patel's tenure as Chief Minister. Rupani also held the position of chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013, while Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister. In February 2016, he was appointed as the state BJP president, a role he held until August 2016. Before becoming Chief Minister, Rupani was included in Anandiben Patel's cabinet in November 2014, overseeing ministries such as transport, water supply, labor, and employment until August 2016.