Air India Plane Crash: Vijay Rupani's Condition, Family Details, Political Career, and More

Concerning visuals emerge out of Ahmedabad airport as Air India flight AI 171, carrying 242 passengers from Ahmedabad to London, crashed minutes after takeoff. The Union Government has assured Gujarat CM Bhupendra Nath of full support, anticipating a significant death toll.

Reports indicate that over 100 people have confirmed their deaths, and an even more distressing update suggests that the death toll may increase further. 169 Indians, 53 UK citizens, 7 Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national were among the 242 passengers on the flight. One of the passengers that was present on the flight during takeoff was Gujarat's ex-CM Vijay Rupani.

Air India Plane Crash: Who is Vijay Rupani, Gujarat's Ex-Chief Minister? 

Even though the full list was not released, it's confirmed that Vijay Rupani is believed to be there on the flight, as he decided to go to London to meet his wife, Anjali Rupani. We are awaiting more details on Vijay Rupani's health. Vijay Rupani's neighbors also confirmed and expressed concerns about his well-being.

Vijay Rupani served as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021, for two terms. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vijay Rupani was a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, representing Rajkot West.

Vijay Rupani is a partner in the trading firm Rasiklal & Sons, founded by his father. He had worked as a stockbroker. Vijay Rupani is married to Anjali, who is also a member of the BJP women's wing. The couple has a son, Rushabh, who is an engineering graduate, as well as a daughter, Radhika, who is married. The couple lost their youngest son, Pujit, in an accident and have started the Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust for charity.

He succeeded Anandiben Patel and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 August 2016. In the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, he retained the Rajkot West constituency, defeating the Indian National Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru. He was unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party on 22 December 2017 and continued as the Chief Minister of Gujarat with Nitin Patel as the Deputy Chief Minister. On 11 September 2021, he resigned from the post of chief minister. He was succeeded by Bhupendra Patel.

Also read: Air India Flight Crash in Ahmedabad: Photos of the Tragic Incident