Ajit Pawar, 4 More Die In Plane Crash

Mumbai: In a tragic incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, 66, died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning. The chartered Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) crashed while trying to land at Baramati Airport, killing all five people on board.

The crash occurred at around 8.44 am. Those killed included Pawar’s personal staff member Vidip Jadhav, aircraft attendant Pinky Mali, Pilot-in-Command Captain Sumit Kapur, and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak.

The pilots had decided not to land in the first attempt and had performed a 'go around'. In the second they had confirmed they could see the runway. The aircraft crashed to the left of the runway at about 8.45 pm. Eyewitnesses said the aircraft struck the ground and burst into flames. Emergency services rushed to the spot, but the intensity of the fire prevented any rescue. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a probe into the incident.

Ajit Pawar’s mortal remains were taken to Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati, where members of the public paid their respects. Senior members of the Pawar family, including NCP founder Sharad Pawar and MP Supriya Sule, arrived in Baramati. Pawar is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar, and sons Jay and Parth.

Sharad Pawar arrived at the venue along with NCP working president Praful Patel, state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, and state minister Hasan Mushrif. All had joined the Ajit Pawar faction following the 2023 split in the party.

The final rites will be held on Thursday at 11 am at the Vidya Pratishthan ground. Union home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to visit Baramati. Chief Ministers of several states are expected to be present.

Sharad Pawar dismissed speculation of any conspiracy behind the crash, saying, “There is no politics involved. It was a tragic accident. Please do not politicise this incident.”

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe, alleging that investigative agencies had been compromised. Her demand was backed by several Opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav backed the demand.

Leaders across political parties gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan grounds to offer condolences. Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Sunetra Pawar and expressed their sympathies.

The Maharashtra government has declared three days of state mourning across the state as a mark of respect to the deputy chief minister.

Meanwhile, the state mourning declared following the death of Ajit Pawar will not affect Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections as they will held as per schedule on February 5, State Election Commission sources said on Wednesday.

Ajit Pawar’s death has created a significant political vacuum in the BJP-led coalition government in Maharashtra and cast a shadow on the future of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which he headed.

His lasting contribution lies in the transformative development of Baramati. He was the chief architect behind turning Baramati into a model township with its sugar cooperatives, educational institutions like the Vidya Pratishthan, and the Baramati Knowledge Cluster focused on agro-technology. His deep connection with the cooperative sector made him a towering figure for farmers and rural communities.