New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BP), was among the victims of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. His passing at the age of 68 has drawn tributes from across the political spectrum, reflecting the respect he commanded even among ideological opponents.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, recalling their time in Parliament, wrote on his X handle: “I still recall our not infrequent arguments and clashes in the House as also the friendly conversations in the now-extinct Central Hall where we would talk about climate change, urban heat, environment, and Myanmar where he was born—like the CPM leader Prakash Karat. He was extremely affable and the aggression in the House would very often be accompanied with a smile.”

Born on August 2, 1956, in Rangoon (now Yangon), Myanmar, Rupani’s early life was shaped by political upheaval. His family, part of the Jain community, migrated to Rajkot in 1960.

He pursued degrees in arts and law from Saurashtra University and began his public life through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its student wing, the ABVP.

He was active in the Navnirman Andolan and was jailed during the Emergency.

Rupani’s political career spanned decades, marked by a steady rise through the BJP’s organisational ranks.

He served as Mayor of Rajkot (1996–97), chaired the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation, and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012.

It was during this tenure that he earned the respect of colleagues across party lines. In 2016, Rupani succeeded Anandiben Patel as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, leading the state through a politically sensitive period marked by the Patidar agitation and Dalit protests. He retained power for the BJP in the 2017 Assembly elections and served until 2021.

At the time of his death, he was the party’s in-charge for Punjab. Rupani is remembered as a leader of calm temperament, ideological clarity, and personal warmth.

His legacy lies not only in the offices he held but in the quiet dignity with which he conducted public life. His death is a loss not just to Gujarat, but to Indian politics at large.

–IANS

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