Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani dies in Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani died on Thursday after an Air India aircraft carrying him and 241 others crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad in the afternoon, Union Minister CR Patil said.

Rupani, 68, was the chief minister from 2016 till 2021, after winning the Gujarat Assembly election from the Rajkot West seat.

The London-bound flight AI 171 was carrying 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian national, apart from two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

Rupani was known for his composed demeanour and firm administrative style.

He was a student leader who led many agitations. During his college years, he worked as an activist of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

In 1975, Rupani faced imprisonment for one year in Bhavnagar jail while protesting against the Emergency. He entered public service in 1987 when he was elected as a corporator in Rajkot Municipal Corporation, and later became the mayor.

He was a member of Rajya Sabha between 2006 and 2012. His tenure as Gujarat CM saw the launch of the state Industrial Policy 2020 and initiatives for tribal upliftment.

Rupani stepped down from the Chief Minister's post in September 2021, making way for Bhupendra Patel ahead of state elections.