Baramati, Maharashtra Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday after the aircraft he was travelling in crash-landed at Baramati, according to reports citing aviation officials.
Mr. Pawar was en route to Baramati to address a public rally ahead of the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. The Learjet 45 aircraft was originally scheduled to take off at 7:00 a.m., but departed at around 8:10 a.m. Air Traffic Control (ATC) reportedly received information about the crash at 9:12 a.m.
Quoting a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), news agency PTI reported that the aircraft was carrying five persons, including Mr. Pawar, two members of his staff, and two crew members.
Nationwide Condolences Pour In
Leaders across party lines expressed deep shock and grief over the sudden demise of the veteran leader. The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet paid tribute to Mr. Pawar, with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu referring to the tragic incident at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting. A resolution expressing condolences was subsequently passed as a mark of respect.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray also expressed grief over the passing of Ajit Pawar, popularly known as Ajit Dada.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reacting to the incident, said he was “at a loss for words,” adding that the state leadership stood firmly with Mr. Pawar’s family and party during this difficult time. He said that he and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were heading to Baramati and that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister had been informed about the crash.
“We are all in shock,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
State Mourning Announced
The Maharashtra government has announced three days of state mourning following the death of the Deputy Chief Minister. The national flag will be flown at half-mast during the mourning period, and official functions have been curtailed.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed his condolences, describing Mr. Pawar’s death as a profound loss to public life.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar Ji in a plane crash at Baramati. His contributions to the development of Maharashtra and public life will be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, his colleagues, and the people of Maharashtra,” he said.
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