Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar among five dead in Baramati plane crash, DGCA confirms
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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Ajit Pawar and four others died in a charter plane crash in Baramati, on Wednesday morning while he was flying from Mumbai to Baramati. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said five people have been confirmed dead in the crash. Four others, including the pilots and Pawar's security personnel, have also died in the crash.
According to ANI report, visuals from the crash site showed wreckage scattered across the area, with flames and thick smoke billowing from the aircraft. Pawar was travelling in a privately operated chartered plane, which reportedly had three other passengers on board.
Ajit Pawar (66) was onboard along with two more personnel (1 PSO and 1 attendant), and two crew (PIC+FO) members. As per initial information, no person on board has survived the crash, said DGCA.
The small aircraft took off from Mumbai around 8 am. The accident occurred as the aircraft was attempting to land at Baramati airport at 8.45 am. Emergency response teams were rushed to the spot, and further details regarding the condition of the passengers and the incident are awaited.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X said, "Saddened by the tragic air crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the crash. Praying for strength and courage for the bereaved families in this moment of profound grief."
NCP Working President Praful Patel, NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar and son Parth Pawar are leaving for Baramati from Delhi, as per ANI.
The aircraft was completely destroyed, with visuals showing it shattered into pieces and debris scattered across the crash site. Initial footage from Baramati showed a massive fire, with thick smoke billowing from the area.
Pawar had attended a Cabinet meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday and was en route to Baramati for a series of meetings related to the upcoming civic elections in Pune.
Pawar began his political career in 1982, when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory. He later became chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank in 1991. The same year, he entered national politics after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati, a seat he later vacated for his uncle, Sharad Pawar.
A dominant figure in state politics, Pawar was elected seven times to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Baramati. He first won a by-election in 1991 and went on to retain the seat in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
In November 2019, Pawar triggered a split in the NCP and joined the BJP-led government as Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission recognised his faction as the NCP, awarding it the party name and symbol.