New Delhi: Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 afternoon. The aircraft, carrying 242 individuals including 230 passengers and 12 crew members — went down near the densely populated Meghaninagar area, just outside the airport perimeter.
Sources confirmed that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who was onboard was declared dead. His name appeared as the 12th entry on the official passenger manifest, listed under Z class, a Business Class category.
Political journey of former CM Vijay Rupani
Born in 1956, Vijay Rupani started his career as a student activist of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He later got associated with the Jan Sangh in 1971 and also joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), serving as Pracharak of RSS from 1978 to 1981.
Rupani was jailed for around a year during emergency when leaders and activists of various political parties were sent to jail by the government.
In 1987, Rupani became a corporator of Rajkot Municipal Corporation and later served as the mayor of Gujrat from 1996 to 1997. Rupani got associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since it’s establishment and was elected as the general secretary of the party’ Gujrat unit in 1998, a position he held for four times overall.
He was appointed the chairman of Gujrat tourism in 2006, and was also elected for Rajya Sabha from Gujrat from 2006 to 2012.
Rupani first contested elections in 2014 from Gujrat’s Rajkot West seat and secured victory with a thumping margin, defeating the rival INC candidate.
He was inducted in the CM cabinet in the same year and was given charge of transport, water supply, labour and employment ministry.
Rupani was elected as Gujrat BJP president for a short tenure from February 2016 to August 2016. He was sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujrat after the resignation of former CM Anandi Bai Patel in August 2016.
He retained the Rajkot West seat in the elections held in the state assembly elections held in the year 2017 and continued to serve as CM till September 2021.
Vijay Rupani ji was also a dedicated RSS karyakarta
https://x.com/SheetalPronamo/status/1933128337406496848
According to the reports in the media he was on his way to London in the ill-fated flight of Air India to get back his wife after six months.
Vijay Rupani was going to London to bring back his wife after 6 months. pic.twitter.com/IXuEdOYW2g
— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) June 12, 2025
BJP Leader P Muralidhar Rao expressed his condolences on the demise of Vijay Rupani ji, Taking to X he said, ” I am deeply pained and shocked by the news of the tragic demise of Gujarat’s former Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani ji in the recent plane crash in Ahmedabad. This is not only a loss for Gujarat but an irreparable loss for the entire nation. In this extremely difficult and sorrowful moment, I pray to God to grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet and provide strength to the grieving family, relatives, and countless supporters to bear this thunderbolt-like pain.
https://twitter.com/PMuralidharRao/status/1933140121055862999
Earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a preliminary statement detailing the sequence of the tragic event.
According to the report, the aircraft departed at 1:39 PM IST from Runway 23 and issued a distress “MAYDAY” calls to the Air Traffic Control (ATC). However, the ATC received no further communication from the pilots after the call. Within moments, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter. The site immediately erupted in flames, with emergency response teams rushing to the scene.
Union Home Minister speaks to Gujrat CM
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Home Minister and the Police Commissioner regarding the plane crash incident. He also assured to provide Central government assistance.
The Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, has given instructions to undertake immediate rescue and relief operations and immediate treatment of injured passengers in the wake of the Air India passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad on a war footing.
While the full scale of casualties is yet to be officially confirmed, early reports suggest that over 200 lives may have been lost in what is now being called one of the worst aviation disasters in Bharat’s recent history.
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