- Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among 242 passengers on the crashed Air India flight.
- The crash occurred on June 12, just 32 seconds after takeoff, resulting in 241 fatalities.
- Mr Rupani had changed his travel plans twice before booking the fatal flight on June 12.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was among the 242 people on board the doomed Air India 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Only one survived, and 241 people died, including the former Chief Minister.
But, flying to London on June 12 to meet his wife and daughter was not Mr Rupani's first choice. The former chief minister first booked his ticket for May 19 on flight AI171 and intended to fly back to India on June 25. With a change in plans, Mr Rupani cancelled his ticket for May 19 and decided to fly on June 5.
Read more: Gujarat Ex Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Among 241 Killed In Air India Crash
There was another change. The former Chief Minister cancelled his second ticket too and booked seat number 2D on flight AI 171 for June 12, which crashed in less than a minute after taking off.
CCTV footage from the runway showed the aircraft was airborne for only 32 seconds before crashing into the hostel building of BJ Medical College, which is close to the airport. A huge fireball followed the crash, damaging the hostel building. Several casualties were reported at the medical college, too.
'1206' And Mr Rupani's Personal Connect
The number '1206' stood for good fortune for Mr Rupani, who used it on his car, scooter and official number plate of his vehicle as Chief Minister. He considered it lucky for him until it wasn't. The former Chief Minister died on June 12 (12/06) in the crash. 12/06, according to friends, family, and party colleagues, was a personal emblem for Mr Rupani.
Vijay Rupani's Political Life
Mr 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 labour.
He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012. In 2014, he was appointed as a minister in the Gujarat government, where he served till 2016, followed by taking over as the Chief Minister in the same year, a position he held till 2021 before resigning ahead of the assembly elections as part of the BJP's leadership reset.
Mr Rupani remained active in organisational 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.
