Ahmedabad: Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the 241 people who lost their lives in the Air India AI171 crash near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.

Union Minister C.R. Patil confirmed that Rupani was on board the ill-fated aircraft, which crashed in the Meghaninagar locality, close to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. “Our leader, respected former CM Vijay Rupani was on the flight. Tragically, Vijay Rupani is among the victims of this accident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a massive loss for the BJP family,” Patil told the media.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 individuals including passengers and crew, crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad between 1 and 2 p.m. The flight had 12 airline personnel on board — two pilots and ten cabin crew members. The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar.

Mourning Rupani’s death, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh expressed his grief on social media, saying, “Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Shri Vijay Rupani Ji in the unfortunate crash. His dedicated service to the public will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.”

Air India stated that the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals. The airline has also issued a dedicated helpline number — 1800 5691 444 — for relatives seeking information.

Vijay Rupani served as Gujarat’s 16th Chief Minister for two terms between 2016 and 2021. He began his political journey as a student activist with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and later joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He was associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since its inception. Notably, Rupani was jailed for 11 months during the Emergency in 1976. DeshGujarat