Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar tragically died on Wednesday morning when the chartered aircraft he was traveling in crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Baramati airport.
The crash also claimed the lives of the plane’s two pilots, Sumit Kapoor and Sambhavi Pathak, as well as two of Ajit Pawar’s security personnel, a personal security officer and an attendant.
The DGCA confirmed that all five people on board perished in the accident, which preliminary reports suggest may have been caused by poor visibility, according to India Today.
The aircraft, a Bombardier Learjet 45 chartered from Mumbai through the Delhi-based company VSR, was en route to Baramati where Ajit Pawar was scheduled to address four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections.
Eyewitnesses reported that the jet crashed at the threshold of Runway 11, immediately bursting into flames. The entire aircraft was reduced to ashes, leaving debris scattered around the site.
Ajit Pawar’s death marks a profound loss for Maharashtra. Known as a leader of farmers and laborers, and a strategist in state politics, his passing leaves a significant vacuum in both governance and regional leadership.
Tributes have poured in from political leaders across the spectrum, highlighting his enduring influence and decades-long public service.
