Ajit Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, died in a tragic plane crash this morning while travelling from Mumbai to Baramati. Six others, including the pilots and Pawar’s security personnel, also lost their lives, officials said.
The small chartered aircraft took off from Mumbai around 8.10 am and crashed near Baramati airport during a landing attempt about half an hour later. Pawar was scheduled to attend four public meetings in the region ahead of the local body polls next month.
Visuals from the crash site showed fire and thick smoke, the mangled remains of the aircraft, and ambulances rushing to the spot. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five passengers on board died in the accident.
The 66-year-old leader was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Sharad Pawar and Sule, who were in Delhi for Parliament’s Budget Session, are expected to leave for Pune shortly. Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra and sons Parth and Jay.
Ajit Pawar served as Deputy Chief Minister under Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde, and Devendra Fadnavis. In 2023, he led a split in the NCP, forming a separate faction and later joining the NDA government. In recent months, there were indications of a possible reunion within the NCP, with both factions contesting the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation together.
The NCP leadership, the Pawar family, and the Maharashtra government are yet to issue detailed statements on the tragedy. Investigations into the cause of the crash are underway.
