GG News Bureau
Ahmedabad, 13th June: For former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the number ‘1206’ was a lifelong symbol of good fortune, prominently featured on the number plates of his vehicles for decades. In a cruel twist of fate, June 12, 2025 – 12/06 – became the day his journey tragically ended.
Rupani, 68, was among the 242 people on board Air India Flight AI171, which crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, plunged into a medical college hostel complex in the Meghani Nagar area at 1:40 PM, sparking a massive blaze. He was traveling to London to visit his wife and daughter but never made it.
The flight manifest listed him on seat 2D. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu later confirmed the former Chief Minister’s death.
Friends, family, and party colleagues noted the tragic irony of the date. Photographs from his Rajkot residence show vehicles still bearing the 1206 registration, a constant through his long public life. Gujarat state BJP president CR Patil lamented the loss, stating, “Our leader and former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was going to London to meet his family. He is also a victim in this incident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a big loss for the BJP.”
What Happened:
Air India Flight AI171 departed Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM IST, carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members. According to the airline, the manifest included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, 1 Canadian, and 7 Portuguese nationals. Moments into its ascent, the aircraft began to lose altitude. Eyewitnesses captured harrowing video footage of the jet flying unusually low before it crashed into a residential wing of a medical college. The aircraft struck a hostel block for doctors and students, punching through the dining hall where food was still visible on plates, scattered among the wreckage.
A Career in Public Life:
Vijay Rupani served as Gujarat’s 16th Chief Minister from August 2016 to September 2021. Born in Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma, in 1956, his family migrated to Rajkot in the 1960s following political instability in Southeast Asia. He began his political career as a student activist and became a municipal corporator in Rajkot in 1987. Over the next three decades, he held a range of administrative and legislative roles, including as minister for transport, water supply, and labor.
Though he resigned in September 2021 to make way for Bhupendra Patel as part of the BJP’s leadership reshuffle strategy ahead of assembly polls, Rupani remained active in organizational affairs. He held a senior advisory role within the party’s Gujarat unit and was frequently consulted on matters related to state policy and elections, maintaining a significant presence in the state’s political landscape until his untimely demise.
