Hundreds of mourners thronged the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at his native village Katewadi near here on Thursday morning to pay their last respects to the leader who died in a plane crash.
Grief-stricken people from Katewadi and nearby villages in Pune district, joined by NCP workers, made a beeline outside the residence gates, chanting slogans such as "Ajit Dada Amar Rahe" and "Ajit Dada Parat Ya" (Ajit Dada please come back).
"A leader like him will not be born again," several mourners said, lauding his role in the region's development.
Pawar (66) was killed on Wednesday morning after the chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 km from Pune. Two pilots, a flight attendant and a personal security officer were also killed in the accident.
On Thursday morning, the mortal remains of Pawar were brought from the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Hospital in Baramati, where they were kept overnight, to his Katewadi village near Baramati.
With tears welling up, 65-year-old Katewadi resident Ganpat Thombre choked when asked to describe his feelings. "It has been 24 hours since the tragic incident that took our leader away. I am still unable to come to terms with the fact that Dada (as Pawar was fondly called) is no more. A leader like him will not be born again," Thombre told PTI.
"Though he was the deputy chief minister, he paid keen attention to issues of Katewadi, Khatalpatta, Songain and other adjoining villages," he said. Thombre said he knew Pawar personally, as the latter had helped his granddaughter secure admission to a medical college. "He brought about transformation in this region by building good roads and schools. A leader of his stature will not be there again," he said, as tears rolled down his face.
Chandrakant Mali, who came from Ter in Dharashiv district, said Maharashtra has "lost a diamond."
Inside the premises where the mortal remains were kept for the last darshan, Ajit Pawar's wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, his sons Parth and Jay, and his younger brother Shrinivas Pawar accepted tributes from people with folded hands.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, his wife and son Amit, actor Riteish Deshmukh, and several other dignitaries were among those who paid tributes to Pawar at his residence in Katewadi.
After the final darshan at the residence, the mortal remains were taken to the sports ground of Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati, where the last rites will be held with full state honours.