From Burma to the Chief Minister's office: The rise of Vijay Rupani
In short: Vijay Rupani’s political journey began in the shadow of instability in Burma. After relocating to India, he rose through the ranks of the RSS and BJP to lead Gujarat. His tenure was marked by a low-profile governance style and a controversial legacy involving both high-level politics and market scrutiny.
Born in Rangoon in 1956, Rupani’s family fled to Rajkot, Gujarat, in 1960 due to political instability in Burma. His father, a grain merchant in Burma, transitioned into a ball bearing trader in India. Rupani’s political foundation was built on student activism and membership in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1971, the precursor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and was imprisoned for 11 months during the Emergency for his involvement in the Navnirman Andolan movement.
Prior to assuming state-level roles, Rupani held the Rajkot mayoralty between 1996 and 1997. He served as a minister in 2014 and was appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016, following the resignation of Anandiben Patel. His leadership was often characterized by critics as 'low-profile' or 'obedient,' with some commentators describing him as a 'proxy' leader who maintained the status quo of previous BJP administrations. During his term, he faced significant criticism for the state's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Gujarat High Court noted was 'not satisfactory and not transparent.'
His career was also shadowed by financial scrutiny. In 2017, SEBI imposed penalties on 22 entities, including Vijay Rupani HUF, for an alleged pump-and-dump scam involving Sarang Chemicals shares. While SEBI claimed the group manipulated market volume for 'unlawful or unfair gain,' Rupani's office countered that the HUF actually incurred a loss. The Securities Appellate Tribunal later set aside the order in November 2017, citing a lack of a proper hearing. Rupani died in June 2025 in a plane crash involving Air India Flight 171 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
Beyond politics, Rupani was a former stockbroker and chairman of the Saurashtra-Kutch Stock Exchange. Following the tragic death of his son, Pujit, in 1994, he and his wife established the Shri Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust in 1994, an NGO dedicated to empowering women and improving education for the poor.
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