Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash in Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister of India’s

Maharashtra state, has died in a plane crash that also claimed the lives of four others, according to India’s aviation regulator.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the aircraft took off from Mumbai and crash-landed at Baramati airport, located in Pawar’s home constituency, where it was scheduled to land. The cause of the accident has not yet been established.
Those killed in the crash include two members of Pawar’s staff and two crew members. Eyewitness videos from the scene show the aircraft wreckage engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing into the air.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident, offering condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for strength for those affected. In a separate message, he paid tribute to Pawar’s contributions to public service.
Ajit Pawar was a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics and a nephew of Sharad Pawar, the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). His political career spanned several decades, during which he served multiple terms as deputy chief minister.
In recent years, Pawar split from his uncle’s party along with a group of lawmakers to form a separate political faction, later recognised by the Election Commission as a distinct NCP. At the time of his death, his party was part of Maharashtra’s ruling coalition aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing, and authorities say more details will be released as they emerge.