Vijay Rupani | |
|---|---|
 Rupani in 2018 | |
| 16thChief Minister of Gujarat | |
| In office 7 August 2016 – 11 September 2021 | |
| Governor | Om Prakash Kohli Acharya Devvrat |
| Preceded by | Anandiben Patel |
| Succeeded by | Bhupendrabhai Patel |
| Cabinet Minister inGujarat | |
| In office 19 November 2014 – 7 August 2016 | |
| Chief Minister | Anandiben Patel |
| Portfolio |
|
| Member ofGujarat Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 19 October 2014 – 8 December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Vajubhai Vala |
| Succeeded by | Darshita Shah |
| Constituency | Rajkot West |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 25 July 2006 – 24 July 2012 | |
| Constituency | Gujarat |
| President ofBharatiya Janata Party, Gujarat | |
| In office February 2016 – August 2016 | |
| Preceded by | R. C. Faldu |
| Succeeded by | Jitu Vaghani |
| Mayor of Rajkot | |
| In office 1996–1997[1] | |
| Preceded by | Bhavana Joshipura |
| Succeeded by | Uday Kangad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vijaykumar Ramniklal Rupani (1956-08-02)2 August 1956[2] |
| Died | 12 June 2025(2025-06-12) (aged 68) |
| Cause of death | Aircraft accident |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Vijay Ramniklal Rupani (2 August 1956 – 12 June 2025) was an Indian politician who served as thechief minister of Gujarat from 5 August 2016 to 11 September 2021 for two consecutive terms. He was a representative in theGujarat Legislative Assembly for theRajkot West constituency from theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was among the passengers who died in the crash ofAir India Flight 171.
Vijay Rupani was born on 2 August 1956, inRangoon,Union of Burma, to aJainBania family.[3][4] He was the seventh and youngest son of the couple. In 1960, his family moved toRajkot, Gujarat, India, due to political instability in Burma. His father, Ramniklal Rupani, who had been a grain merchant in Burma, became a trader ofball bearings in Rajkot.[5]
Vijay Rupani graduated with aBA from Dharmendrasinhji Arts College and anLLB fromSaurashtra University. Active in student politics, Rupani joined theRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), aright-wingHindutvaparamilitary organisation, and theAkhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student body affiliated with the RSS.[3][4][5] In 1971, Rupani joined theBharatiya Jana Sangh, a Hindutva party which served as the political arm of the RSS and the precursor to theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[6]
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Rupani participated in theNavnirman Andolan, a socio-political movement against economic crisis and corruption in the leadup tothe Emergency. During the Emergency, he was imprisoned for 11 months and held at jails inBhuj andBhavnagar.[7]
Having been a member of theRSS and theJan Sangh, Rupani was affiliated with theBJP since its establishment in 1980.[3][4] He was elected to theRajkot 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 amember of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012, representing Gujarat. He served as a member of theGujarat Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2022, representingRajkot West constituency.[5][7][8]
He was inducted as a minister in the first cabinet expansion by chief ministerAnandiben 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, succeedingR. C. Faldu. He held the position until August 2016.[10][11]
On 7 August 2016, Rupani was appointedchief minister of Gujarat by theleadership of the BJP, following the resignation ofAnandiben Patel.[12][13] Rupani led the BJP in the2017 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 ofHindutva themes and narratives alongside significantIslamophobic 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 theCOVID-19 pandemic, with Gujarat emerging as one of India's most severely affected states. In April 2021, theGujarat 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 byBhupendra Patel, who subsequently led the BJP to a landslide victory in the2022 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]
Between January and June 2011, 22 entities, including Vijay RupaniHUF, bought and sold shares of Sarang Chemicals in an allegedpump-and-dump scam. On 27 October 2017, theSecurities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) imposed penalties on all 22 entities on the charges ofartificial volume creation,market manipulation, and "getting an unlawful or unfair gain", in violation of the PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices relating to Securities Market). Following an investigation, SEBI discovered that the group had bought 27,697,860 shares at 32.97% of the company's market value before selling 72,408,293 shares at 86.18% of the company's market value. SEBI levied fines of₹6.9crores across all entities, with Rupani HUF being asked to pay₹15lakhs within 45 days of the order. SEBI noted that the order wasex parte as the entities involved did not respond to theshow-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, theSecurities 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]
Vijay Rupani was married to Anjali Rupani, a member of theBJP Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of the party. The couple had three children, a daughter named Radhika and two sons named Rishabh and Pujit. The couple lost the latter in a car accident. In his memory, the family founded the Shri Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust, anon-governmental organisation which states that it works for the poor.[28][29] A formerstockbroker, Vijay Rupani once served as the chairman of the Saurashtra-Kutch Stock Exchange.[30]
On 12 June 2025, he was among the 241 people who died aboardAir India Flight 171, which was bound forGatwick Airport inLondon. Shortly after takeoff fromSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport inAhmedabad, the aircraft crashed into ahostel block ofB. 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 byDNA analysis.[34] He was the second chief minister of Gujarat to die in a plane crash, followingBalwantrai Mehta.[35][36]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Chief Minister of Gujarat 2016–2021 | Succeeded by |