Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Highlights: Maharashtra’s Deputy CM’s Cremation Tomorrow, PM Modi Likely To Be Present

Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar died after his aircraft crashed during an emergency landing attempt at Baramati airport on Wednesday morning, officials said. Stay tuned for live updates.

Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar died after his aircraft crashed during an emergency landing attempt at Baramati airport on Wednesday morning, officials said. The chartered aircraft reportedly encountered difficulty while landing at the airport after departing from Mumbai.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Mumbai–Baramati chartered flight crash-landed amid poor visibility. The aircraft was carrying 5 people on board, including Ajit Pawar, two pilots and two security personnel. The pilots were identified as Sumit Kapoor and Sambhavi Pathak. Further details regarding casualties are awaited.

Pawar was travelling to Baramati to address four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections when the incident occurred. The aircraft involved was a Bombardier Learjet 45, operated by Delhi-based charter company VSR.

Visuals from the site showed the aircraft severely damaged, with debris scattered across the area. Eyewitnesses said the jet was attempting to land at runway 11 of Baramati airport around 8:40 am when the incident took place, triggering a fire and heavy smoke.

Authorities said an investigation has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.

Ajit Pawar’s Death: Background

Born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, Ajit Pawar hails from one of the state’s most influential political families. The Pawars have long been associated with agriculture and the cooperative movement, a background that played a key role in shaping Ajit Pawar’s early political outlook.

Ajit Pawar entered public life at a young age following the death of his father, Anantrao Pawar, who worked at Mumbai’s renowned Rajkamal Studios. Due to family circumstances, Ajit completed his education up to the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) level before stepping into active politics.

With his uncle Sharad Pawar already a prominent Congress leader in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar’s political entry was relatively smooth. At just 23, he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory in Baramati, marking the beginning of his rise in regional politics.

His first major electoral breakthrough came in 1991, when he won the Lok Sabha seat from Baramati, his only parliamentary contest. He later shifted focus to state politics and went on to win the Baramati Assembly seat, a Pawar stronghold, eight times.

In 1999, Ajit Pawar joined Sharad Pawar in forming the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Known for his strategic acumen, he quickly emerged as one of the party’s most powerful leaders. At 40, he became the youngest Cabinet minister in the Vilasrao Deshmukh-led government, handling key portfolios such as irrigation, finance, rural development, water supply and energy, while building a strong base in western Maharashtra through cooperatives and local institutions.