Vijay Rupani's 'Lucky' Number Turns Fatal

 A calm hand in Gujarat's stormy politics, a man who once helmed the state with quiet confidence - Vijay Rupani is no more. The former Chief Minister was among the 241 killed in the horrific Air India crash in Ahmedabad. His death marks not just a personal tragedy for his family, but the end of an era for Gujarat's BJP politics. Tonight, we look back at his journey - from Rajkot to Gandhinagar, and sadly, to the skies above Ahmedabad. The number '1206' was never just a number for former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. It was a constant across the decades of his public and private life. It featured on the number plates of his vehicles, be it a scooter in his early days, or the official car of a Chief Minister. For the long-serving BJP leader, '1206' stood for good fortune. Until it didn't. On June 12, 2025, that number, in a cruel twist of fate, became the day of his death. Mr 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 en route to London's Gatwick Airport.