Technical snag in Eknath Shinde's chopper during Gujarat visit, takes road route

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was on a visit to Gujarat when his helicopter developed a technical fault. The snag was detected before the helicopter could take off from Vadnagar for Ahmedabad, forcing the plan to travel by helicopter to be cancelled. Shinde had to take the road route to Ahmedabad instead.

According to reports, the helicopter was preparing to take off from Vadnagar for Ahmedabad when the technical problem was noticed. The flight was immediately called off, and Shinde decided to travel by road to reach his scheduled programmes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 76 on September 17, 2026. To mark the occasion, several programmes were organised under the "Seva Sankalp Abhiyan" in Modi's birthplace of Vadnagar, Gujarat. Eknath Shinde was invited to attend these programmes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and several other leaders were also present. Shinde delivered a speech at the Vadnagar event.

Bike rallies from Vadnagar to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Vadnagar are also being held to mark Modi's birthday and the completion of 25 years of his public life. Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the Vadnagar rally.

Meanwhile, various speculations are being made amid the current political developments in Maharashtra regarding Shinde's Gujarat visit. Shinde's alleged closeness to Amit Shah, talk of Devendra Fadnavis moving to the centre, or claims about a future change in leadership are all merely political speculation. There is currently no concrete basis to draw any firm conclusion about any future position for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde based on this visit. The technical fault in the helicopter did change Shinde's mode of travel, but he has proceeded to Ahmedabad by road for his scheduled programmes.