India is grieving over the precious loss of 265 lives after the terrible Ahmedabad Air India plane crash. Among others, one of the most talked about guests on the ill-fated Air India flight en route to London Gatwick was former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. He lost his life in the tragedy on June 12, 2025, which has left the entire nation in mourning, with leaders, party workers and citizens expressing their grief over the loss of a prominent political figure. Amid this, his wife, Anjali Rupani, has returned to India and was spotted on her way to her residence.
PM Narendra Modi met Anjali Rupani at Ahmedabad airport
Vijay Rupani was reportedly travelling to London to bring back his wife, Anjali Rupani from London, who was staying overseas for the past few months. While the details of his travelling plans are not confirmed, Anjali Rupani returned to India on the morning of June 13, 2025. She was received at the airport by Gujarat’s home minister, Harsh Sanghvi, and they went to meet PM Narendra Modi, who was waiting to meet her before leaving for Delhi after he visited the AI171 plane crash site and civil hospital. Sharing his condolences, PM Narendra Modi penned:
‘Met the family of Shri Vijaybhai Rupani Ji. It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I’ve known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times. Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the Party’s ideology.”
For those unaware, PM Narendra Modi shared a close bond with Vijay Rupani when he served as the CM of Gujarat for 6 years between 2016 to 2021. He and other ministers present with him expressed their grief to Anjali Rupani, who returned from London. Anjali Rupani has also been a member of the BJP women’s wing. Later, on her way to her residence, she was spotted meeting her known ones and broke down, which was captured by the nearby media cameras.
Gujarat BJP president confirmed Vijay Rupani’s demise
When the news about former CM Vijay Rupani’s presence on the ill-fated Air India flight which crashed in Ahmedabad made headlines, it couldn’t be confirmed whether he was alive or not. After a lot of wait and speculation, Gujarat BJP President, CR Patil confirmed the death of the 68-year-old political leader. Sharing his condolences, he said:
“Our leader and former Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was going (to London) to meet his family. He is also a victim of this incident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a big loss for the BJP.”
More about Vijay Rupani’s family
Vijay Rupani was born in Burma to a merchant family that later moved to Gujarat. He pursued a qualification of BA and LLB before making his way into politics by joining the RSS. He had also worked as a stockbroker and tied the knot with Anjali Rupani in 1980. The couple were parents to three kids: son, Rushabh and daughter, Radhika. Their youngest son, Pujit, passed away in a car accident, and the couple started an NGO for the poor in his memory.
We send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to Vijay Rupani’s family in this time of profound grief.
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