Ahmedabad, June 13: Former chief minister Vijay Rupani considered 1206 his lucky number and ensured it featured on all vehicles he owned over the years.
The number has now become synonymous with one of the worst aviation tragedies in India’s history, in which he lost his life along with 264 others on Thursday.
Rupani was among 242 persons on board a London-bound Air India flight that crashed into a building of a medical college and hostel in the Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The former chief minister considered 1206 as his lucky number, but it has now become the date of his final journey, June 12 (12/6).
In his hometown Rajkot, people could identify Rupani’s car by its vehicle registration number 1206.
According to locals of Rajkot and journalists, Rupani’s scooters and cars bore the same number.
Rupani was travelling to his daughter’s place in London, as his wife Anjaliben, who is also an active member of the BJP, was also there.
Anjaliben reached Gandhinagar on Friday morning.
Gujarat state BJP chief and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil on Thursday confirmed Rupani’s death in the plane crash.
The 68-year-old leader was known for his composed demeanour and firm administrative style.
He served as Gujarat’s chief minister from August 2016 to September 2021 and steered the state through a critical post-COVID-19 recovery phase.
He started off as a student leader, leading several agitations, and was an activist of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in his college days.
In 1975, Rupani was imprisoned for a year in the Bhavnagar jail while protesting against the Emergency.
He entered public service in 1987 when he was elected as a corporator in the Rajkot Municipal Corporation and later became the mayor.
He was a member of the Rajya Sabha between 2006 and 2012.
His tenure as the chief minister saw the launch of the state Industrial Policy 2020 and initiatives for tribal upliftment.
Rupani stepped down from the post in September 2021, making way for Bhupendra Patel ahead of state elections.
He was later appointed as BJP in-charge of Punjab. (PTI)
