Ajit Pawar dies in Baramati plane crash, leaving Maharashtra in shock and political uncertainty

The death of Ajit Pawar, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in a plane crash in Baramati has left India in shock and has created political uncertainty for the state.

Pawar was killed when a chartered Bombardier Learjet 45, which had already made multiple unsuccessful landing attempts at Baramati Airport, crashed during its final landing attempt Wednesday morning in low visibility conditions. The plane caught fire shortly after it landed.

Social media posted videos of heavy smoke being seen from the crash site near the runway. The federal Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) stated that the plane was cleared to land but did not respond to Air Traffic Control instructions on the last landing attempt.

In recognizing the loss of Pawar, Prime Minister Modi stated it is hit to the entire nation and a tremendous loss for the people of Maharashtra. CM Fadnavis stated that it would take the state time to recover from this loss and planned three days of mourning for Pawar. Additionally, many other officials of both political parties expressed their condolences over the loss of Pawar.

Supporters referred to Pawar as Dada, he was one of Maharashtra’s key figures. He started out with grassroots based political work through co-operatives and workers unions and was first elected from Baramati in 1991 and won repeatedly from that constituency. He was elected Deputy Chief Minister several times and also held important government positions like Finance and Agriculture Minister.

Pawar was a major figure of the Nationalist Congress Party throughout his tenure; the NCP was formed under the leadership of his uncle Sharad Pawar. Towards the end of his career, he faced a lot of changes to the political landscape that included various splits in the NCP and movement of coalitions to the ruling party the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2023 his faction was declared the official NCP by India’s election commission, and he became Deputy Chief Minister of the Government again.

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The crash occurred on his way to Baramati for a series of public meetings related to the forthcoming local elections. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation have initiated investigations into the incident. Early lines of investigation include low visibility, no distress signal, and possible technical or human error. Officials have confirmed that the aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate until September 2026.

The passing of Pawar will have a major impact on Maharashtra politics as he had been a strong administrator and has been known to deliver powerful speeches. He had many loyal supporters within the party and influenced many more people throughout the rest of the state. While the current governing coalition still has enough votes to stay in power for now, the absence of Pawar will likely be the catalyst for the reshaping of the current alliances in Maharashtra and lead to more uncertainty.

The funeral for Pawar will take place on Thursday morning in Baramati; people are still gathering to pay their last respects.

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