Gujarat ex-CM Vijay Rupani had strong connect with Punjab

Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani, who was killed in a tragic air crash involving a London-bound Air India plane near the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, had a strong connect with Punjab politics.

A respected politician, Rupani was specifically brought to the state in 2021 to take charge after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ended its alliance with the BJP.

After assuming leadership in September 2022, Rupani’s tenure saw a significant improvement in the BJP’s electoral performance. The party’s vote share, which had been reduced to 6.6 per cent, increased to 18.56 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll under his guidance.

Known as a protégé of Amit Shah, Rupani was a first-time MLA from Rajkot (West) when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat. BJP leaders described him as an “acceptable, humble and down-to-earth human being” who deeply connected with the people across all levels of the state administration.

Expressing profound sorrow, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “He was a humble and compassionate human being and a grassroots leader. I had the lucky fortune of being associated with him while he was in-charge of the Punjab BJP. He was a real ‘gentleman politician’. Not only Gujarat has lost a great leader in him, but it is a personal loss for me, as I found his gentle and soft demeanour so endearing. His sagacity and simplicity in public life will be missed.”

Rupani had been diligently carrying out his responsibilities, including attending the nomination paper filing of the party candidate from Ludhiana (West). He had planned to travel to London from June 5 to June 12 to meet his children, but his travel plans were delayed due to the Ludhiana byelection. His wife, Anjali Rupani, had already left for London on June 5.

A sombre mood has enveloped the party unit as politicians from across the spectrum expressed their condolences. Among those who offered their sympathies included AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.