Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has died after the private aircraft he was travelling is crashed during an attempted landing at Baramati airport in Pune district, officials said. Pawar and four others on board were killed when the plane crashed and burst into flames.
The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Aviation, had departed from Mumbai and was headed to Pawar’s home constituency of Baramati, where he was scheduled to attend election-related events. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all on board died in the crash.
श्री अजित पवार जी हे जनतेशी घट्ट नाते असलेले, तळागाळाशी मजबूत नाळ असलेले लोकनेते होते. महाराष्ट्रातील जनतेच्या सेवेत सदैव अग्रभागी राहणारे एक मेहनती व्यक्तिमत्त्व म्हणून त्यांना व्यापक आदर होता. प्रशासकीय बाबींची त्यांना सखोल जाण होती. गरीब आणि वंचितांच्या सक्षमीकरणासाठीची… pic.twitter.com/Rn1E8OXQRm
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2026
Eyewitnesses and local responders described the scene as chaotic, with the wreckage engulfed in smoke and fire. Emergency crews—including police, fire services and National Disaster Response Force personnel—reached the site quickly, but no survivors were found. Victims aboard included Pawar, two members of his staff and two crew members.
Reaction from the nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow on social media, saying he was saddened by the tragic air crash in Baramati and offering thoughts and prayers to the bereaved families. Other political leaders, including Maharashtra’s top leadership, described the crash as a dark day for the state.
Pawar’s political legacy
Ajit Pawar, 66, was one of Maharashtra’s most influential politicians. A nephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar, he led his own faction of the Nationalist Congress Party after a high-profile split in recent years and had served multiple terms as deputy chief minister. His sudden death leaves a significant vacuum in the state’s political landscape.
The DGCA has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with initial inquiries focusing on the aircraft’s approach and landing sequence. No official cause has yet been released.
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