Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, has died, BJP's state president CR Patil said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft bound for London crashed five minutes after taking-off near Ahmedabad airport.
Patil called the plane crash a "tragic incident" and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.
"Former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has passed away.
The BJP family is deeply saddened," Patil told reporters in Mehsana, mourning the death of the BJP leader."May God grant peace to all the departed souls, and give strength and peace to the families of the deceased."
"May the souls of those who died in the crash rest in peace," he added.
Rupani served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from August 2016 to September 2021, before resigning ahead of the 2022 state elections.