Maharashtra January 28, 2026
In a tragic accident on Wednesday morning, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar was killed when the chartered aircraft he was traveling in crash-landed near Baramati in Pune district.
According to officials and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Learjet 45 (registration VT-SSK) carrying Pawar and four others — including two crew members and his security personnel — crashed during an attempted landing around 8:45 a.m. local time. No survivors were found at the scene.
Eyewitness visuals from the site showed wreckage engulfed in flames and thick smoke rising across the crash area. Emergency teams and local authorities rushed to the scene, but all aboard were declared dead.
Details of the Incident
Pawar was en route from Mumbai to Baramati to attend public events linked to the Zilla Parishad elections.
The aircraft reportedly encountered difficulties as it approached the runway and crash-landed off-centre, according to preliminary reports.
The DGCA has initiated a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.
News of Pawar’s death has sent shockwaves through Indian politics. Leaders from across the spectrum expressed grief and offered condolences:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the loss as deeply saddening, remembering Pawar as a “leader of the people” with strong grassroots connections. “
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior ministers are reported to have contacted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis following the crash.
NCP leaders and Pawar’s family members, including his wife and sister, rushed to Baramati.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was a seasoned politician and a central figure in Maharashtra’s political landscape for decades. He served as Deputy Chief Minister under multiple governments and played a key role in the 2023 split of the Nationalist Congress Party, after which he maintained leadership of his faction.
