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.
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.
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Live Updates:
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Live Updates: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday afternoon announced a one day holiday for its offices following the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash at Baramati. The emergency services staff will be the only workers who will respond to work obligations throughout the day according to the civic body.
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Live Updates:
Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: The last rites of NCP leader Ajit Pawar will be held tomorrow, and he will be accorded full state honours.
Ajit Pawar plane crash: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sharad Pawar to express his condolences over the tragic demise of Ajit Pawar.
Ajith Pawar death news: NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar’s wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, broke down while meeting members of the Pawar family in Baramati.
Ajit Pawar plane crash: NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar reached Baramati and arrived at the hospital where the body of his nephew, Ajit Pawar, was kept after he died in a plane crash.
Ajit Pawar plane crash: It was flight attendant Pinky Mali’s fourth flight with Ajit Pawar. She had called her family the previous night to inform them that she was leaving for Baramati.
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Live Updates: Ajit Pawar’s sudden death has left a deep void in Maharashtra’s political landscape. A mass leader, astute power broker and seasoned strategist, his absence could unsettle the ruling Mahayuti and cast uncertainty over the future of a fractured NCP, raising pressing questions about leadership and succession within the party.
Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has left for Baramati following the death of his nephew and rival NCP faction leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash.
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: “The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar in a plane crash today is extremely unfortunate and tragic. He had a long and impactful public life. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh offers its heartfelt condolences and prays to God to grant peace to his soul. Om Shanti,” RSS General Secretary said.
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: The aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar crashed just 50 metres from airport.
Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Live Updates: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the case. “We need a proper investigation into Ajit Pawar’s death, to be supervised by the Supreme Court. He was closely associated with the ruling political party. Someone from another party had even claimed that Ajit Pawar would leave the BJP,” she said.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: After the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, NCP–Sharadchandra Pawar faction leader Anil Deshmukh, while addressing the media on Wednesday, broke down into tears. The former Maharashtra Home Minister was unable to overcome his emotions after the news of the sudden demise of Ajit Pawar broke out.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: According to officials, the impact was severe, leaving the bodies of the victims unrecognizable. Identification had to be carried out using clothing and other personal belongings.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Low visibility at Baramati airport may have been a key factor behind the aircraft crash, as the airstrip lacks night-landing facilities and advanced navigation aids required for operations in poor visibility, including fog.
According to preliminary information, the jet attempted to land despite visibility dropping to around 800 metres. During the landing attempt, the aircraft crashed.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: “For the first time, a plane flew over our house. I was with the buffaloes. It was around 8.45 am. After that, the plane crashed and there was a big explosion. The flight didn’t even reach the runway. Seeing the explosion, we got scared. We ran with buckets of water. There were some dead bodies lying scattered, so we covered them with blankets, and we were terrified,” an eyewitness said.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Shambhavi Pathak, the first officer, was also killed in the incident. She was serving as a crew member on the ill-fated Learjet 45 (registration VT-SSK) that crashed in Baramati, resulting in the tragic loss of all five individuals on board, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: “The aircraft was 100% safe. The crew was fairly experienced. I personally think it may have been due to poor visibility or a possible misjudgment of the runway by the pilot. That is primarily all I can see. The DGCA will investigate,” VSR Aviation owner VK Singh stated.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Ajit Pawar (66) and 4 other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near his hometown Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
One witness told ANI that the aircraft appeared unstable as it descended before it hit the ground and went up in flames. “There was a massive explosion. After that, we rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire. There were 4-5 explosions in the aircraft again,” he said.
Residents nearby ran towards the area to try to help those on board, but the heat from the fire stopped many from getting close. The witness stated that the moment was distressing, adding that the intensity of the blast and the flames left people stranded, unable to do anything.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Speaking to reporters, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde are heading to Baramati, and that the further course of action will be decided after speaking with Ajit Pawar’s family.
He also announced a state mourning of three days over Ajit Pawar’s death. Today has also been declared a holiday in the state to mourn the loss.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde said that the plane crash in Baramati will be probed. Pawar was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state, they added.
Ajit Pawar Death Live Updates: Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday, was flying onboard an civil aircraft that has had a patchy track record. The same aircraft operated by the same company was involved in a similar accident, but all onboard had survived the mishap. On 14 September 2023, a VSR Learjet 45 (VT-DBL) was on a non-scheduled passenger flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai with six passengers and two crew members on board.
