Sanjay Gandhi To Vijay Rupani: Indian Politicians Who Died In Air Crashes
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the 241 people killed in the Air India flight, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plummeted onto a medical college hostel and burst into flames.
Vijay Rupani, 68, was a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021. He was reportedly travelling to London to visit his family.
Over the years, India has lost several politicians to air accidents.
A look back at some other prominent names:
Sanjay Gandhi (1980)
Son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and once considered her heir apparent, Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash in Delhi on June 23, 1980. The 33-year-old was flying a two-seater aircraft when it crashed during a test flight near Safdarjung Airport.
Madhavrao Scindia (2001)
A senior Congress leader and father of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Madhavrao Scindia was a prominent face in Indian politics and a member of the Gwalior royal family. He died in a chartered plane crash on September 30, 2001, in Bhogaon, Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh. He was on his way to address a rally in Kanpur. All on board were killed in the crash.
GMC Balayogi (2002)
The then Lok Sabha Speaker and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader died in a helicopter crash in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district on March 3, 2002. The chopper reportedly developed a mechanical fault mid-air.
Dorjee Khandu (2011)
Dorjee Khandu, the then Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, died when his Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in a remote area near the China border on April 30, 2011. The wreckage was found five days later.
YS Rajasekhara Reddy (2009)
Popularly known as YSR, then sitting Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh died in a helicopter crash in the Nallamala Hills on September 2, 2009. The crash site was located a day later after a massive search operation.
OP Jindal and Surender Singh (2005)
Industrialist and Haryana Power Minister OP Jindal, along with former Union Minister Surender Singh (son of ex-President Shankar Dayal Sharma), died in a helicopter crash in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on March 31, 2005.
Gurnam Singh (1973)
The former Punjab Chief Minister is also reported to have died on May 31, 1973, in a plane crash in Delhi.
Balwantrai Mehta (1965)
The second Chief Minister of Gujarat, Balwantrai Mehta, was killed when a Pakistani Air Force jet mistakenly shot down his civilian aircraft during the 1965 war. He was on an official visit near the India-Pakistan border.
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