Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani died in the Air India flight crash that occurred minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
A web check-in document accessed by The Times of India confirmed Rupani’s presence on board. He had checked into business class, with boarding at 12:10 PM from Zone 1. His seat was 2D.
The booking reference was 6FK2M2, and the e-ticket number was 0982865207073. Officials later confirmed his death in the crash.
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick, crashed in the Meghani area shortly after departure.
Black smoke rose from the wreckage as the aircraft, heavily fuelled for the journey, burst into flames upon impact. Rescue teams faced challenges due to the fire and wreckage.
Vijay Rupani began his public life with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as a municipal councillor in Rajkot from 1987 and became Mayor of Rajkot in 1996.
Rupani steadily climbed the party ranks, eventually becoming BJP’s state general secretary and spokesperson.
In 2006, Rupani entered the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. He served until 2012. He won a by-election to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Rajkot West in 2014 and retained the seat in 2017.
On 7 August 2016, he became Chief Minister of Gujarat, succeeding Anandiben Patel. He held the post until 2021, guiding the state through economic and developmental transitions.
Rupani was known as a low-profile, organisationally sound leader. He enjoyed the trust of the BJP high command and had strong support from Amit Shah and the RSS.
Vijay Rupani never faced any criminal charges. His 2016–17 income tax returns showed a total income of ₹18,01,820, with his spouse earning ₹3,37,000. His movable assets were valued at ₹5.43 crore.
These included ₹2.1 lakh in cash, ₹74.93 lakh in bank deposits, and investments in shares and mutual funds worth ₹3 crore.
He also disclosed loans given out worth ₹82.55 lakh, vehicles worth ₹17.85 lakh, jewellery valued at ₹17.94 lakh, and insurance policies worth ₹16.56 lakh. His immovable assets included land in Rajkot valued at ₹1.41 crore and residential property worth ₹2.03 crore. He also owned a ₹21 lakh share in a commercial property.
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