Ajit Pawar, Chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, died in a tragic plane crash this morning while travelling from Mumbai to Baramati, according to official sources.
The small aircraft, which took off from Mumbai at around 8:00 a.m., crashed near Baramati airport during its landing attempt approximately 45 minutes later. Four others on board — including pilots and security personnel — were also killed in the accident.
Visuals from the crash site showed thick smoke, fire, and the mangled remains of the aircraft, while ambulances were seen rushing the injured to nearby hospitals. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five passengers on board died in the crash.
According to reports, Pawar was scheduled to attend four public meetings in the region ahead of the upcoming local body elections.
The 66-year-old leader was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Both Sharad Pawar and Sule were in Delhi attending the Parliament’s budget session and are expected to travel to Pune shortly.
In 2023, Ajit Pawar led a major political split within the NCP, forming a separate faction and later joining the NDA government as Deputy Chief Minister. In recent months, however, discussions regarding a possible reunion of the two factions had emerged, with both sides jointly contesting the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections.
The aircraft involved in the crash was a Learjet 45, operated by a company identified as VSR. Notably, another aircraft of the same model had crashed in Mumbai in September 2023.
As of now, the NCP leadership, the Pawar family, and the Maharashtra government have not issued official statements regarding the incident. Further investigations into the cause of the crash are expected to be carried out by aviation authorities.
