Vijay Rupani is a partner in a trading firm Rasiklal & Sons, founded by his father. He had worked as a stock broker.
Political career
Vijay Rupani started his career as student activist associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. He joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and subsequently joined Jan Sangh in 1971. He has been associated with Bharatiya Janta Party since its establishment. He was imprisoned for 11 months and was sent to the jails in Bhuj and Bhavnagar during the Emergency in 1976. He was a Pracharak of RSS from 1978 to 1981. He was elected as a corporator of Rajkot Municipal Corporation in 1987 and became the chairman of drainage committee. He became the chairman of standing committee of RMC from 1988 to 1996. He was again elected to RMC in 1995. He served as the mayor of Rajkot from 1996 to 1997. He became BJP's Gujarat unit general secretary in 1998 and served as the chairman of manifesto committee during chief ministership of Keshubhai Patel. He was appointed as a chairman of Gujarat Tourism in 2006. He was a member of Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012. He served as BJP's Gujarat unit general secretary four times and chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013 during the chief ministership of Narendra Modi. In August 2014, when Vajubhai Vala, the incumbent speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly, resigned as the MLA from Rajkot West, Vijay Rupani was nominated by the BJP to contest his vacant seat. He won the bypoll on 19 October 2014 by a huge margin. He was inducted as minister in the first cabinet expansion by Chief MinisterAnandiben Patel in November 2014 and held the ministry of transport, water supply, labor and employment. On 19 February 2016, Rupani became the state BJP president, replacing R. C. Faldu. He was the BJP state president from February 2016 to August 2016.
In 2011, Vijay Rupani HUF entity sold shares worth about 35000 in Sarang Chemicals in a single transaction which were purchased in 2009 at about 63000, making a loss. The SEBI, the regulator, had charged 22 entities, including Vijay Rupani HUF, for "manipulative trades" by pump and dump. In November 2017, the SEBI issued ex parte order imposing a penalty of 1500000 to Vijay Rupani HUF for creating misleading appearance in the stocks. Vijay Rupani HUF said that the penalty was imposed without giving opportunity to be heard. The SEBI said that the entity had failed to file reply to their show cause notice in time. Later the Securities Appellate Tribunal set aside the penalty order and asked the SEBI to issue fresh order and hear all the entities.
Personal life
Vijay Rupani is married to Anjali Rupani, who is also a member of BJP women wing. The couple have a son; Rushabh, an engineering student and daughter, Radhika who is married. The couple lost their youngest son Pujit in an accident and have started the Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust for charity.
