Ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among dead in Air India Ahmedabad plane crash

The flight departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm and crashed within minutes in the Meghaninagar area, close to the airport's perimeter

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has died in the Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, Union Minister CR Patil confirmed. He was among the 242 passengers onboard and was reportedly travelling to London to meet a family member.

 

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI171, went down minutes after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

 

The flight departed at 1.38 pm and crashed within minutes in the Meghaninagar area, close to the airport’s perimeter. Footage from the scene showed thick fumes of smoke and burning debris from the crash site. Rescue efforts are still underway, and the number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.

 

 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a statement confirming that Air India’s Boeing 787 aircraft, registered VT-ANB and operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. The flight was carrying 242 people, including two pilots and ten cabin crew members. The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar as co-pilot.

 

Emergency services, including fire and police personnel as well as teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been deployed to the site. The cause of the crash is not known yet.

 

Who was Vijay Rupani?

 

Vijay Rupani was a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as the CM of Gujarat from August 2016 to September 2021. He was elected to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Rajkot West, a seat previously held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure in state politics.

 

Born in 1956 in Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma, Rupani moved to Rajkot with his family amid political turmoil. His early years were shaped by involvement in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and student politics, including participation in the 1974 Navnirman movement and nearly a year’s imprisonment during the Emergency. Rupani later served in the Rajya Sabha (2006–2012) and as Mayor of Rajkot (1996–97), before assuming the role of Gujarat BJP president in 2016. He continued his political journey until stepping down as CM a year before the 2022 Assembly polls.

 

During his time in office, Rupani focused on industrial development, urban infrastructure, and investment promotion. He also led the state through the early phases of the Covid-19 pandemic before resigning ahead of the 2022 state elections, making way for Bhupendra Patel.