Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Who Is Vijay Rupani? Former Gujarat CM Among 232 Passengers on Air India Flight?

An Air India flight bound for London from Ahmedabad crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was carrying 242 individuals, including crew members. Among the passengers was Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat. Rescue teams promptly arrived at the scene to begin relief operations. The passenger list showed Rupani's name at the 12th position, with seat number 2D. However, it has not yet been officially confirmed whether he was on board.

Who is Vijay Rupani? Former Gujarat CM Feared to be Among Passengers on Air India Plane

Vijay Rupani: 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat

Vijay Rupani, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), served as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat from August 7, 2016, to September 11, 2021. He represented the Rajkot West constituency in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

Rupani succeeded Anandiben Patel as Chief Minister and was re-elected from Rajkot West in the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections. During his second term, Nitin Patel served as Deputy Chief Minister. Rupani resigned in September 2021 and was succeeded by Bhupendra Patel.

Before becoming Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani held ministerial positions in the Gujarat government under Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. From November 2014 to August 2016, he served as Minister of Transport, Labour & Employment, and Water Supply. He was a Rajya Sabha member from July 2006 to July 2012. Additionally, he served as the President of the BJP's Gujarat unit from February to August 2016.

Vijay Rupani's Early Political Career

Vijay Rupani began his political career as a corporator in the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) in 1987. He served as the Mayor of Rajkot from 1996 to 1997. In 1998, during Keshubhai Patel's tenure as Chief Minister, he was appointed General Secretary of the BJP's Gujarat unit and chaired the party's manifesto committee. Rupani held the position of General Secretary of the Gujarat BJP four times. In 2013, while Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he served as Chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Air India Flight AI 171 Crashed Near Sardar Patel International Airport

The ill-fated flight, numbered AI 171, had a total of 230 passengers on board. It took off from Sardar Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM but failed to clear the airport's boundary. By 1:40 PM, the plane had crashed, engulfing Ahmedabad's sky in smoke. The incident prompted immediate action from emergency services.