Tragic Plane Crash Claims Life of Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

Vijay Rupani's Untimely Demise in Air India Crash

Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat and a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, tragically lost his life in an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, as confirmed by Union Minister CR Paatil.

Rupani was one of the 242 passengers aboard Air India flight AI171, which was en route to London when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.

According to Paatil, Rupani was traveling to London to visit his family. He expressed his condolences, stating, "He is also a victim in this incident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a significant loss for the BJP."

VIDEO | Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Union Minister and Gujarat BJP president, CR Patil (@CRPaatil) confirms former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani's demise. Speaking to reporters, he says, "Our leader and former Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was going (to London) to meet his family. He is… pic.twitter.com/5c1VIk8KIb

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025

This incident marks Rupani as the second Gujarat chief minister to perish in a plane crash, following Balwantrai Mehta, whose aircraft was shot down by a Pakistani fighter pilot during the 1965 India-Pakistan war.

Rupani took office as Gujarat's chief minister in August 2016 after Anandiben Patel's resignation and remained in the position until 2021, when he was succeeded by Bhupendra Patel.

At the time of his appointment, he was serving as the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and held a ministerial role. He was a first-time MLA representing Rajkot West and was regarded as a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Notably, he was the only BJP chief minister of Gujarat, after Narendra Modi, to serve for over five years.

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