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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on board a chartered aircraft died after it crash-landed at Baramati airport on Wednesday
Ajit Pawar dead after plane crash
Baramati: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on board a chartered aircraft died after it crash-landed at Baramati airport on Wednesday.
According to a preliminary occurrence report released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ajit Pawar was among the passengers on board the flight.
The 66-year-old leader was travelling with two staff members-a personal security officer (PSO) and an attendant. The aircraft was operated by a two-member crew comprising the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) and the First Officer (FO).
Following the incident, emergency response teams swiftly reached the location, while security personnel sealed off the area. Investigating agencies began initial inspections to determine the circumstances surrounding the event.
Ajit Pawar, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has served as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister on six occasions under various administrations.
The nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, he has remained a dominant political figure in the Baramati region, playing a key role in state and local governance, cooperative sector politics, and infrastructure development.
He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar, who was elected as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament in 2024, and their two sons, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar.
In recent years, the Pawar family has witnessed significant political rifts, particularly between Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar, eventually resulting in a split within the NCP.
Ajit Pawar entered public life in 1982 after securing a position on the board of a cooperative sugar factory. In 1991, he was appointed chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank.
The same year, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati but later vacated the seat in favour of Sharad Pawar.
He went on to represent the Baramati Assembly constituency seven times, first winning a by-election in 1991 and subsequently securing victories in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014.
In November 2019, Ajit Pawar led a rebellion within the NCP and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the government, assuming the role of Deputy Chief Minister.
In February 2024, the Election Commission formally recognised his faction as the official NCP, granting it the party name and symbol.
