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Vijay Rupani

Vijay Rupani
Rupani in 2018
Chief Minister of Gujarat
In office
7 August 2016 – 11 September 2021
GovernorOm Prakash Kohli
Acharya Devvrat
Preceded byAnandiben Patel
Succeeded byBhupendrabhai Patel
Cabinet Minister, Government of Gujarat
In office
19 November 2014 – 7 August 2016
Chief MinisterAnandiben Patel
Portfolio
  • Transport
  • Labour and Employment
  • Water Supply
Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly
for Rajkot West
In office
19 October 2014 – 8 December 2022
Preceded byVajubhai Vala
Succeeded byDarshita Shah
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
25 July 2006 – 24 July 2012
ConstituencyGujarat
President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Gujarat
In office
February 2016 – August 2016
Preceded byR. C. Faldu
Succeeded byJitu Vaghani
Mayor of Rajkot
In office
1996–1997[1]
Preceded byBhavana Joshipura
Succeeded byUday Kangad
Personal details
Born
Vijay Ramniklal Rupani

(1956-08-02)2 August 1956[2]
Rangoon, Rangoon Division, Burma
Died12 June 2025(2025-06-12) (aged 68)[3]
B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Cause of deathAir India Flight 171 crash
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
Other political
affiliations		National Democratic Alliance
SpouseAnjali Rupani
Children3

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).

Early life and student politics

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Vijay Rupani was born on 2 August 1956, in Rangoon, Rangoon Division, Burma, to a Gujarati Sthanakwasi Jain Bania family.[4][5] 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.[6]

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 organisation, and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student body affiliated with the RSS.[4][5][6] In 1971, Rupani joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a far-right political party that served as the political arm of the RSS and was the precursor to the BJP.[7]

Political career

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Rupani taking the oath of office as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha in 2006, with Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat administering the oath

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.[8]

Having been a member of the RSS and the Jan Sangh, Rupani was affiliated with the BJP since its establishment in 1980.[4][5] He was elected to the Rajkot Municipal Corporation in 1987, and served as the mayor of Rajkot from 1996 to 1997.[6][8]

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.[6][8][9]

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.[5][10] On 19 February 2016, Rupani became the BJP's president in Gujarat, succeeding R. C. Faldu. He held the position until August 2016.[11][12]

Chief Minister of Gujarat (2016–2021)

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See also: First Rupani ministry and Second Rupani ministry

On 7 August 2016, Rupani was appointed chief minister of Gujarat by the leadership of the BJP, following the resignation of Anandiben Patel.[13][14] 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.[15][16][17] In March 2021, The Indian Express included Rupani in its list of the 100 most powerful people in India.[18]

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."[19] On 11 September 2021, Rupani resigned from the post of chief minister.[20] He was succeeded by Bhupendra Patel, who subsequently led the BJP to a landslide victory in the 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election.[21][22]

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.[23]

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.[24][25][26]

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.[25][27][28]

Personal life

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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.[29][30]

A former stockbroker, Rupani once served as the chairman of the Saurashtra-Kutch Stock Exchange.[31]

Death

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Main article: Air India Flight 171

On 12 June 2025, Rupani boarded Air India Flight 171, which was bound for Gatwick Airport in London. According to a close relative, he was travelling to London to visit his daughter and to accompany his wife on the return journey. Shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, the aircraft crashed into the hostel block of B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, he died along with all but one of the 242 passengers and crew, as well as at-least 38 individuals on the ground.[32][33] Rupani’s body was confirmed through DNA identification.[34] He was the second chief minister of Gujarat to die in a plane crash, following Balwantrai Mehta.[35][36]

References

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  1. ^ "Gujarat CM resigns, all eyes on MLAs' meet to select Pollard's successor". The Economic Times. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Vijay Rupani: Member's Web Site". 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2016 – via the Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "Vijay Rupani, ex Gujarat CM, killed in Ahmedabad plane crash". The Hindu. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "How Vijay Rupani pipped Nitin Patel to become Gujarat chief minister". The Times of India. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "Saurashtra strongman Vijay Rupani in Gujarat Cabinet". Economic Times. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 27 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d "Vijay Rupani: A swayamsevak, stock broker and founder of a trust for poor". The Indian Express. 6 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Vijay Rupani: How the Rangoon-born came to lead Gujarat". India Today. 12 June 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Who was Vijay Rupani? The 'low-profile' and 'affable' ex-Gujarat CM who died in Air India plane crash". Mint. 12 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Guj bypoll: BJP wins Rajkot-West Assembly seat". Business Standard. PTI. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel expands ministry, inducts 4 new ministers". The Indian Express. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Gujarat BJP declared Vijay Rupani as new president". The Economic Times. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Jitu Vaghani appointed as the BJP State President for Gujarat". The Financial Express. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Vijay Rupani to succeed Anandiben Patel as Gujarat CM, Nitin Patel to be his deputy". The Economic Times. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Vijay Rupani named Gujarat chief minister; Nitin Patel to be deputy CM". The Times of India. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  15. ^ "Gujarat elections: Chief minister Vijay Rupani wins from Rajkot West". Live Mint. PTI. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  16. ^ "BJP retains Vijay Rupani as CM in Gujarat, but is undecided in Himachal Pradesh". The Indian Express. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  17. ^ Shah, Ghanshyam (13 January 2018). "BJP's Sixth Victory in Gujarat: A Puzzle". Economic and Political Weekly. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018.
  18. ^ "IE100: The list of most powerful Indians in 2021". The Indian Express. 28 March 2021. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021.
  19. ^ K Dutta, Prabhash (13 September 2021). "Vijay Rupani's road to exit: Why BJP replaced chief minister in Gujarat". India Today.
  20. ^ Langa, Mahesh (11 September 2021). "Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani resigns". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021.
  21. ^ "BJP MLA Bhupendra Patel named new Gujarat chief minister". The Times of India. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  22. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (8 December 2022). "Modi's BJP clinches landslide election victory in Gujarat". The Guardian.
  23. ^ Dahiya, Himanshi (16 September 2021). "Vijay Rupani – PM Modi's 'Proxy CM' or a Formidable Political Force in Gujarat?". The Quint. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024.
  24. ^ "SEBI imposes penalty on 22 entities including Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani's HUF". The Indian Express. 9 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  25. ^ a b Choudhary, Shrimi (9 November 2017). "Rupani Case: SAT Asks SEBI to Hear All Parties Before Decision". The Wire.
  26. ^ "SEBI acts against Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani in manipulative trades case, slaps Rs 15 lakh fine". India Today. 9 November 2017.
  27. ^ "Did nothing wrong, says Vijay Rupani as tribunal sets aside SEBI penalty". The Indian Express. 9 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  28. ^ "No wrongdoing in transactions: Vijay Rupani". The Hindu. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025.
  29. ^ "From RSS cadre to CM". Deccan Herald. 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  30. ^ Vaishnavi, Arya (12 June 2025). "Vijay Rupani family: All on wife Anjali Rupani and their children". Hindustan Times.
  31. ^ Dabhi, Parimal; Misra, Leena (13 June 2025). "Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among those killed in Air India crash, was on his way to London to meet daughter". The Indian Express.
  32. ^ "Vijay Rupani, ex Gujarat CM, killed in Ahmedabad plane crash". The Hindu. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  33. ^ "Vijay Rupani Death: Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani killed in Ahmedabad plane crash, says CR Paatil". The Indian Express. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  34. ^ Deshpande, Abhinay (15 June 2025). "Mortal remains of former Gujarat CM Rupani, over 40 victims identified through DNA profiling; Air India contacts relatives of all victims". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  35. ^ "Former CM Vijay Rupani becomes second Chief Minister from Gujarat to die in plane crash". Mint. 12 June 2025.
  36. ^ "Air India Crash: 47 Bodies Identified So Far, 24 Handed Over To Families". TheQuint. 15 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
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Political offices
Preceded by Chief Minister of Gujarat
2016–2021 		Succeeded by