A tragic plane crash in India has claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar along with four others. The accident occurred on Wednesday morning (January 28) when his private aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Baramati in Pune district. India’s civil aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), confirmed that all five people on board were killed at the scene.
Those killed include Ajit Pawar, two pilots, and members of his personal security team. He was traveling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend four public meetings ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the small aircraft—a Learjet 45 operated by a company named VSR—took off from Mumbai at around 8:00 a.m. After approximately 45 minutes of flight, the plane lost control while attempting to land near Baramati airport and crashed.
Video footage from the crash site shows flames and thick black smoke rising from the wreckage, with debris scattered over a wide area. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and conducted recovery operations. It is notable that another aircraft of the same Learjet 45 model had been involved in an accident in Mumbai in September 2023.
The sudden death of Ajit Pawar has cast a deep shadow over Maharashtra’s political landscape. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief in a post on social media platform X, describing Ajit Pawar as a grassroots leader who dedicated his life to serving the people of Maharashtra. The Prime Minister highlighted his administrative acumen and commitment to empowering the poor, calling his untimely demise deeply painful.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family. Amit Shah is reported to have departed for Pune shortly after receiving the news.
Ajit Pawar, aged 66, was the nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar. In 2023, he led a rebellion within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), splitting the party and later joining the NDA alliance, after which he assumed the post of Deputy Chief Minister. Recently, there had been speculation about a possible reconciliation with his uncle, and both factions were reportedly contesting the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections together.
Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, who were in Delhi for a parliamentary session, left immediately for Pune upon learning of the tragedy. The incident has once again raised serious concerns about aviation safety in India.
Source: NDTV
