Ajit Pawar plane crash Highlights: Maharashtra Dy CM and NCP leader passes away; Baramati remembers their ‘Ajit dada’

Updates to this blog has ended. Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's last rites will be covered live here Ajit Pawar News Updates

The mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were shifted back to the hospital amid a large gathering of mourners. NCP leader Supriya Sule appealed to people to maintain calm and requested them to come at 10 am on Thursday to pay their last respects.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death of NCP leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, alleging that all other agencies have been completely compromised, with several opposition leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge backing her demand.

Shambhavi Pathak, the co-pilot of the aircraft that crashed on Wednesday while carrying Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, had sent a rare "good morning" message to her grandmother in Gwalior before take-off, which turned out to be her last communication.

In the wake of the tragic air crash near the Baramati airfield in Maharashtra that killed the state's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday, the IAF has deployed a dedicated team that is providing essential air traffic control and meteorological services to support safe operations at the site.

The BJP on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash, saying she was indulging in "petty politics" when one should stand by the bereaved family of the NCP leader.

"She has lost humanity," Biplab Deb, the BJP co-incharge for elections in West Bengal, told PTI Videos.

The mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar were brought to Vidya Pratishthan, where several people gathered to pay their last respects.

Former Union minister Suryakanta Patil on Wednesday said she once told Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash, that she will come to meet him only when he becomes CM, but sadly that occasion will never come now.

The Baramati plane crash, which killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday, could have been avoided if the airport runway had been equipped with an instrument landing system to guide the pilot through marginal visibility, according to an aviation expert.

There is a need to ensure that all evidence at the crash site is preserved and not tampered with, as they will be crucial for the probe, which is being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), they said, adding that the (exact) cause of the accident can only be known after the investigation is completed.

"Baramati airport has a small field runway, but it is sufficient for (aircraft like) Learjet to land. I do not think that the runway would contribute to this crash, as it happened before or outside the runway.

"So, it is not the runway. (But) Yes, if the runway was equipped with ILS (instrument landing system) or other instrument systems that would guide the pilot properly during marginal visibility conditions, this (the crash) could have been avoided," retired pilot Ehsan Khalid told PTI Video service.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Maharashtra's Baramati tomorrow to attend the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

Drone visuals showed a large number of people gathering at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to pay their last respects to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Residents and supporters gathered outside the Baramati home of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday to mourn his passing. A local said, "I first got to know about it through Facebook. Initially, I thought it was fake news. But when I saw my contacts' WhatsApp statuses, it hit me hard. I asked my friend to go to Baramati. I still can’t digest that Dada is no more."

In his condolence message, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "The untimely demise of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar and others in a plane crash is extremely tragic. Ajit Pawar had also served as a Member of the 10th Lok Sabha from the Baramati parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar will always be remembered for his work in the cooperative sector, public welfare, and the development of the state."

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday penned an emotional post paying tribute to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar, who lost his life in a plane crash this morning.

Raj Thackeray said that Ajit Pawar was a "remarkably straightforward" leader who was "utterly free of caste bias" and transformed the Pimpri Chinchwad and Baramati region. He added that Maharashtra's politics has lost an outstanding leader.

"Ajit Pawar and I entered politics around the same time, though our acquaintance came much later. But on the strength of his sheer passion for politics, Ajit Pawar took great strides in Maharashtra's political arena. Though Ajit Pawar was a leader forged in the mould of Pawar Saheb, he later carved out his own independent identity. And he imprinted that identity in every nook and corner of Maharashtra," the MNS chief posted on X.

"In the 1990s, urbanisation gained momentum in Maharashtra. Rural areas began tilting toward semi-urbanisation, yet the tone of politics there remained rural, even as the nature of their issues began to shift somewhat toward the urban. Ajit Pawar had a complete grasp of this kind of politics and the skill to handle it adeptly. Pimpri Chinchwad and Baramati are two excellent examples of that. Whether it was Pimpri Chinchwad or Baramati, Ajit Dada transformed these regions in ways that even his political opponents would acknowledge," Raj added.

The Learjet 45 aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar which crashed today, January 28, was involved in another similar accident at Mumbai airport during heavy rain. The incident had happened in September 2023 while the plane, Learjet 45XR (VT-DBL), was attempting landing at the airport. Read here

The aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around forced by poor visibility, but having finally received the clearance it did not give any 'read-back' or confirmation to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway.

The aircraft was trying to land amid poor visibility, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said earlier. A statement by his ministry recounted the final minutes of the ill-fated Learjet 45 belonging to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd that crashed, leading to the death of all five persons on board including Pawar.

(PTI)

Forensic team carries out investigation at the spot where the charter plane of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar crashed in Baramati this morning. All five people onboard the aircraft died in the accident.

NCP MP and cousin of Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, arrived at Vidya Pratishthan to pay her last respects to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who died in the crash landing of a charter plane in Baramati this morning. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde were also present.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar expressed grief at the news of the tragic demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a charter plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday morning.

In a post shared on X, Tendulkar wrote, "Very sad to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Ajit Pawar ji. Maharashtra has lost a dedicated leader who worked for the people, across the state. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti."

Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Babasaheb Mohanrao Patil, along with NCP leader Vikram Vasantrao Kale, broke down while reacting to the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Latur on Wednesday.

On Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar's demise in a plane crash, NCP leader Deepak Mankar said: "He has done great work for Maharashtra, and the world will always remember him. I want to say that our love for him will always remain... This accident is a huge tragedy for this country, and we will always remember the efforts of this great leader, whom young people admired so much, and his dedication to doing good work in Maharashtra.

We can never forget him. Because our relationship wasn't just that of a worker and a leader. There was a different kind of love between us, and I am deeply saddened. My party is also deeply saddened. All the party workers from Pune city are very sad, and may God guide his soul to a better place."

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar died after his plane crashed on Wednesday while attempting to land in Baramati. The aircraft had four other personnel on board — a security officer, an attendant, and two crew members, including the pilot-in-command and the first officer. Check Ajit Pawar's last social media post here

The funeral of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who passed away earlier in the morning following a tragic plane crash, will be held tomorrow, Thursday, at 11 am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are likely to attend.

The mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar are being taken to the Vidya Pratishthan ground for the public to pay their last respects.

PM Modi spoke to Sharad Pawar, and conveyed condolences following Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's death in air crash in Baramati.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar arrived in Baramati on Wednesday, hours after the Maharashtra deputy chief minister was killed in a tragic plane crash. Sunetra Pawar and Ajit Pawar’s cousin Supriya Sule were seen breaking down in tears.

Visuals from outside the residence of Vidip Dilip Jadhav, the personal security officer (PSO) of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was also onboard the ill-fated charter plane that crash landed in Baramati.

All five people onboard the aircraft died in the accident.

NCP supporters with a photo of their party chief & Deputy CM Ajit Pawar gather in large numbers outside Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Government Medical College in Baramati.

Bollywood actor and Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut expressed deep shock over the sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, calling the news "horrible" and difficult to process.

While speaking to the media, Ranaut struggled to find the right words to describe the tragedy. Visibly shocked by the loss, she said, "Oh my God. That's horrible. This is such horrible news. There are not enough words to express. Apne emotions ko align karke, I will give a statement later."

The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will be performed with full state honours, news agency ANI reported, citing the Maharashtra General Administration Department (Protocol).

During the three-day mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings across Maharashtra where it is regularly hoisted. No government entertainment programmes will be organised during this period. All state government offices across Maharashtra will remain closed on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

“This is very sad... This is a very painful hour for the Pawar family. At this time, I can only pray to the Lord that they be given the strength to bear this sorrow,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav told news agency ANI outside the Parliament.

"We are deeply saddened by his sudden demise. There was such a big victory in the recent civic elections. This is very painful. He had become a strong pillar of the NDA," BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad told news agency ANI.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday criticized Mamata Banerjee for her suggestion that foul play could be involved in Ajit Pawar's death, describing the West Bengal Chief Minister's words as “neech baatein”.

“Very sad to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Ajit Pawar ji. Maharashtra has lost a dedicated leader who worked for the people, across the state. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,” Tendulkar wrote on X.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday suggested that there could be foul play involved in the plane crash that led to the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.

“Even political leaders are not safe in this country, let alone common people. Two days ago, I came to know that someone from another party had given a statement that Pawar was willing to leave the BJP, and now this has happened today,” Mamata said, hinting at potential foul play.

“I demand a proper investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court. We have trust only in the Supreme Court and no other agency. All agencies have been completely compromised. It is truly a great loss. Today he is in the opposition, but tomorrow he was supposed to return to the original course of his party,” she said, as per news agency PTI.

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau left for Baramati from Delhi to inspect and start investigating the crash landing, ANI reported citing MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation).

Five people, including Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, on board a Mumbai-Baramati charter plane died when it crash landed in Baramati.

As reported by ANI, Union MoS Bhagwat Karad says, "Ajit Dada was a tall leader of Maharashtra who was in politics for a long time. The whole of Maharashtra is saddened by his demise today. "

Lok Sabha pays obituary to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was a former MP. He died in a crash landing in Baramati this morning.

On plane crash and demise of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Pune Rural SP Sandeep Singh says," The aircraft carrying 5 people crashed just before landing at around 8:40 am today. Five people have died in this incident, and their bodies have been brought to the hospital here. We will provide an update after the bodies are identified. An expert team is present at the crash site." (ANI)

A local resident says, "We live here and behind us there is an airstrip where we saw that a plane came and it did not land. It went further, but then it turned back in sometime and started landing. But then it crash landed just before the runway. As soon as we saw that, we informed the people we knew around the airstrip, so the police and others came immediately. They tried to extinguish the fire. After 15 minutes, they could douse the fire and when we went near, we saw a headless body lying there. It was completely burned and swollen. We could not identify it, but later, with the help of something in the hand, it was identified that it was the body of Dada (Ajit Pawar). Police team came to us and asked for water. We gave them, and they also asked for clothes to cover it, so we gave a new blanket from our house." (ANI)

In the wake of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's demise in a plane crash on Wednesday, Shiv Sena leader Raju Waghmare has raised serious concerns on the manufacturer of the plane involved in the incident, recalling that the same company's plane was involved in crash at Mumbai Airport in 2023, ANI reported.

Waghmare said the incident warrants a comprehensive investigation into the company's operations and safety standards.

"The chartered plane belonged to the company called VSR, which is the same company whose plane had previously crashed on 14 October 2023 at Mumbai airport, where all the passengers had luckily survived. It was a technical snag that led to that incident, and a similar incident happened today with the same company's plane. This is a matter that needs thorough investigation. The owner of the company (VSR) is from Delhi...," he said. (ANI)

Huge crowd gathers outside Baramati hospital as mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP leader, Ajit Pawar, have been brought here

He died in a charter plane crash while travelling from Mumbai to Bramati this morning.

As reported by ANI, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said," We have declared a three-day mourning in the state.

On the demise of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Karnataka DCM DK Shivakumar says, "Ajit Pawar's death is shocking. I was also shocked to hear the news of his death. We, as politicians, should be very careful. We should be careful while travelling abroad. We have lost many leaders like this. Ajit Pawar is a leader with very progressive ideas. The Maharashtra Chief Minister had said just the other day that he is cooperating in all works. May his soul rest in peace. May the Lord give his family and supporters the strength to bear the grief. His family has also established ties in Bengaluru. He met his relatives on Tuesday. Ajit Pawar is a senior leader. He left the party for a political future and came back. I will not talk about this. He was currently serving as the Maharashtra DCM."

On the increase in plane crashes and the claim that it was a technical fault, he says, "I will talk about this after a detailed report comes. What do I know about the technical fault? Many people, including friends from Mumbai, have informed me about it."

On Karnataka Minister Ramappa Timmapur, he says, "In my opinion, R B Timmapur has nothing to do with the controversy. The opposition is exaggerating as much as they want. I will discuss this in detail with the Chief Minister and then inform him. There is a political conspiracy going on.

Kangana Ranaut was shocked to hear about Ajit Pawar’s death. Upon reaching Parliament, she learned of the plane crash from journalists. Read here.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's death: Plane crash will be probed, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, as reported by PTI.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis expresses grief over the demise of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in an aircraft crash. He says, “This morning, a very tragic incident occurred. In extremely unforeseen circumstances, the news of the unfortunate demise of our state’s deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, in an aircraft accident reached everyone, spreading a wave of grief across Maharashtra. For Maharashtra, today is an extremely difficult day. Such leadership takes many years to develop, and at a time when he was making very significant contributions to the state’s development, his passing is both unbelievable and shocking. Personally, I have lost a strong and generous friend. This is also an enormous loss for his family.”