Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash in Pune

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar died on Wednesday after the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crash-landed at Baramati airport.

The incident has brought an abrupt end to a political career that spanned more than three decades and saw him emerge as one of the most influential leaders in the state.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), five people, including crew members, were killed in the accident. The Mumbai-Baramati chartered plane crash-landed at the runway threshold at around 8.45 am. Pawar was travelling along with two staff members — a personal security officer and an attendant — and two crew members.

Pawar was on his way to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad elections when the mishap occurred.

Born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara in Rahuri taluka of Ahmednagar district, Ajit Pawar rose through the ranks of Maharashtra politics to become a dominant political figure. He was widely known as “Ajit Dada” for his close connection with people and his grassroots approach to public life.

Apart from his role in government, Pawar played an active part in managing cooperative institutions, including milk unions, federations, sugar factories and banks. His leadership journey was closely linked with these cooperative organisations, which shaped his political foundation.

His entry into national politics came in 1991, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Baramati constituency. He later vacated the seat for his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar. Over the years, he held several key positions, serving as MLA, Minister of State in important departments, and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister in the state in non-consecutive terms. He held the post six times under different governments, working in the cabinets led by Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly seven times from the Baramati constituency. His victories included a by-election in 1991 and subsequent wins in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

In November 2019, Pawar led a split in the NCP and joined a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, becoming Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission recognised the faction led by him as the official NCP and allotted it the party name and symbol.

Despite political differences, Pawar was known to share a close relationship with his uncle Sharad Pawar, under whose guidance he began his political career. In the recent Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal elections, the rival NCP factions came together in an alliance and presented a united development agenda.

Known for his direct style and frank approach, Ajit Pawar remained a prominent and often decisive figure in Maharashtra politics.

He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar, and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.