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Vijay Rupani
Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2025 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Vijay Ramniklal Rupani (2 August 1956 – 12 June 2025) was an Indian politician who served as the chief minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021 for two consecutive terms. He was a representative in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly for the Rajkot West constituency from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was among the passengers who died in the crash of Air India Flight 171.
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Early life and student politics
Vijay Rupani was born on 2 August 1956, in Rangoon, Burma, to a Gujarati Sthanakwasi Jain family.[3][4] He was the seventh and youngest son of the couple. In 1960, his family moved to Rajkot, Gujarat, India, due to political instability in Burma. His father, Rasiklal Rupani, who had been a grain merchant in Burma, became a trader of ball bearings in Rajkot.[5]
Vijay Rupani graduated with a BA from Dharmendrasinhji Arts College and an LLB from Saurashtra University. Active in student politics, Rupani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary organisation, and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student body affiliated with the RSS.[3][4][5] In 1971, Rupani joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a Hindutva party which served as the political arm of the RSS and the precursor to the BJP.[6]
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Political career
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Rupani participated in the Navnirman Andolan, a socio-political movement against economic crisis and corruption in the leadup to the Emergency. During the Emergency, he was imprisoned for 11 months and held at jails in Bhuj and Bhavnagar.[7]
Having been a member of the RSS and the Jan Sangh, Rupani was affiliated with the BJP since its establishment in 1980.[3][4] He was elected to the Rajkot Municipal Corporation in 1987, and served as the mayor of Rajkot from 1996 to 1997.[5][7]
In 2006, Rupani was made general secretary of BJP's Gujarat state unit, before he was elected as a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012, representing Gujarat. He served as a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2022, representing Rajkot West constituency.[5][7][8]
He was inducted as a minister in the first cabinet expansion by chief minister Anandiben Patel in November 2014 and was assigned the state portfolios of Transport, Water Supply, as well as Labour and Employment.[4][9] On 19 February 2016, Rupani became the BJP's president in Gujarat, succeeding R. C. Faldu. He held the position until August 2016.[10][11]
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Chief Minister of Gujarat (2016–2021)
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On 7 August 2016, Rupani was appointed chief minister of Gujarat by the leadership of the BJP, following the resignation of Anandiben Patel.[12][13] Rupani led the BJP in the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, in which the party retained power and he continued as chief minister. The BJP's election campaign was characterised by prominent usage of Hindutva themes and Islamophobic rhetoric.[14][15][16] In March 2021, The Indian Express included Rupani in its list of the 100 most powerful people in India.[17]
Rupani faced intense criticism for his mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Gujarat emerging as one of India's most severely affected states. In April 2021, the Gujarat High Court remarked that his government's response to the crisis was "not satisfactory and not transparent."[18] On 11 September 2021, Rupani resigned from the post of chief minister.[19] He was succeeded by Bhupendra Patel, who subsequently led the BJP to a landslide victory in the 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election.[20][21]
Rupani was often characterised by political commentators as a low-profile and obedient figure, with some describing his tenure as that of a 'proxy' or 'rubber-stamp' chief minister. His administration largely continued the policies and governance style of preceding BJP-led governments in the state.[22]
Alleged stock manipulation
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Between January and June 2011, 22 entities, including Vijay Rupani HUF, bought and sold shares of Sarang Chemicals in an alleged pump-and-dump scam. On 27 October 2017, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) imposed penalties on all 22 entities on the charges of artificial volume creation, market manipulation, and "getting an unlawful or unfair gain," in violation of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices relating to Securities Market). Following an investigation, SEBI discovered that the group had bought 2,76,97,860 shares at 32.97% of the company's market value before selling 7,24,08,293 shares at 86.18% of the company's market value. SEBI levied fines of ₹6.9 crores across all entities, with Rupani HUF being asked to pay ₹15 lakhs within 45 days of the order. SEBI noted that the order was ex parte as the entities involved did not respond to the show-cause notice within the stipulated time.[23][24][25]
Rupani denied any wrongdoing. In his defence, his office alleged that the HUF had purchased shares worth ₹63,000 in 2009 and sold them for ₹35,000 in 2011, thus incurring a loss, not a profit. On 8 November 2017, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) set aside the SEBI order, noting that it had been issued without giving a hearing to those involved. No new public hearing or ruling has been announced, effectively closing the case.[24][26][27]
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Personal life
Vijay Rupani was married to Anjali Rupani, a member of the BJP Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of the party. The couple had two children, a son named Rishabh and a daughter named Radhika. They had previously lost their youngest son, Pujit, in a car accident. In his memory, the family founded the Shri Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust, a non-governmental organisation which works for the poor.[28][29]
A former stockbroker, Rupani once served as the chairman of the Saurashtra-Kutch Stock Exchange.[30]
Death
On 12 June 2025, he was among the 241 people who died aboard Air India Flight 171, which was bound for Gatwick Airport in London. Shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, the aircraft crashed into a hostel block of B. J. Medical College, killing all but one person on board, as well as 19 people on the ground. According to a close relative, he was travelling to London to visit his daughter, and to accompany his wife on the return journey.[31][32][33] Rupani's body was identified by DNA analysis.[34] He was the second chief minister of Gujarat to die in a plane crash, following Balwantrai Mehta.[35][36]
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References
External links
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