Pune/Mumbai: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was reported dead in a tragic aircraft crash on Wednesday morning while travelling from Mumbai to Baramati, sending shockwaves across the political spectrum.
According to initial reports, the Learjet 45, operated by a private firm VSR, took off from Mumbai at around 8.10 am. The aircraft reportedly went down near Baramati airport while attempting to land approximately half an hour later. Aviation tracking platform Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft disappeared from radar around 8.45 am and was attempting a second landing at the time of the crash.
Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that all five people on board lost their lives, including Pawar, the pilots, and his security personnel. Following the crash, a fire broke out at the site, leaving the aircraft completely mangled. Visuals from the scene showed thick smoke, flames, and emergency responders rushing victims to nearby hospitals.
Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill confirmed that the passengers were immediately shifted for medical assistance, but none could be saved.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was scheduled to attend four key public meetings later in the day in connection with the upcoming local body elections. His sudden demise comes at a politically significant moment, especially amid recent discussions of a possible reunion within the NCP.
The veteran politician was the nephew of NCP founder Sharad Pawar and cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Both Sharad Pawar and Sule were in Delhi for the Parliament’s budget session and are expected to travel to Pune shortly.
Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra and sons Parth and Jay. Over his long political career, he served as Deputy Chief Minister under four Chief Ministers—Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde, and Devendra Fadnavis. In 2023, he led a major split within the NCP, later aligning with the NDA government. In recent months, both NCP factions had jointly contested civic elections in Pimpri Chinchwad, fuelling speculation of reconciliation.
Condolences poured in from national leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Pawar’s death as “shocking and saddening,” praising his grassroots connect and administrative acumen. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is reported to have left for Pune, called the loss deeply personal, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed grief, calling the incident an irreparable loss to Maharashtra’s public life.
As of now, the NCP leadership, the Pawar family, and the Maharashtra government have not issued official statements. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Notably, an aircraft of the same model had crashed in Mumbai in September 2023, raising renewed questions about flight safety.
