Ajit Pawar Death News LIVE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five others were killed after a plane carrying them crashed in Pune district on Wednesday morning, DCGA confirmed.
Initial information indicated that the plane was being used by Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Official documents said the Deputy CM from Maharashtra was scheduled to travel to Baramati later in the day to attend a series of four public meetings.
According to preliminary reports, the plane with Ajit Pawar on board reportedly had trouble while attempting an emergency landing, resulting in the crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. Several passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
“Irreplaceable Loss”
As reported by ANI, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, “This is a really unfortunate incident…There are reports that Ajit Pawar was also on board. If it is true, then it is a very unfortunate day… This is a heart-wrenching incident. May God give strength to the affected families… He was not only Deputy CM of Maharashtra but also a well-known politician in this country.”
Footage from the scene showed the seriously damaged wreckage of the plane, emergency service personnel and ambulances were deployed to the scene. Authorities have sealed off the area as rescue and relief efforts continue.
The cause of the emergency landing has not yet been determined, and officials said more details would be released after technical reports and witness statements were reviewed.
Political career of Ajit Pawar
Ajit Pawar was the longest serving consecutive Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He served six terms in office in different governments. He worked as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
He is married to Sunetra Pawar with whom he has two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
Ajit Pawar started his political journey in 1982 and won a seat on the board of a cooperative sugar factory. In 1991, he became the Chairman of Pune District Central Cooperative Bank.
He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 from the Baramati constituency, but later vacated the seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. Pawar was elected to the Maharashtra state legislature seven times from Baramati, winning by-elections in 1991 and then in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
In November 2019, he created a split in the NCP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, becoming Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission awarded the name and party symbol to the faction led by Ajit Pawar.
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