Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash in Baramati

Summary: Aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar crash-lands at Baramati; all on board killed, officials confirm.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was among those killed on Wednesday morning when the aircraft he was travelling in crashed while attempting to land at Baramati Airport in Pune district, officials said.

The Learjet 45 (registration VT-SSK), operated by VSR Aviation, had taken off from Mumbai and was nearing Baramati around 8:45 am IST when it ran into trouble during its final approach and crash-landed near the runway threshold, bursting into flames on impact, preliminary reports said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five people on board, including Ajit Pawar, two crew members (the pilot-in-command and first officer), his personal security officer and an attendant were killed in the crash. There were no survivors, officials added.

Pawar, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and a veteran of Maharashtra politics, was 66 and one of the state’s most influential figures. He had been flying to Baramati to attend public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections when the tragedy occurred.

Firefighters and local police hurried to the scene of the accident as soon as the news spread. Witnesses described thick smoke, debris scattered everywhere, and chaos. It wasn’t long before videos surfaced online—wreckage burning, everything engulfed in flames. Because of the incident, Baramati Airport had to be closed temporarily.

Witnesses at the Baramati crash site said they heard about 4–5 loud explosions as the chartered aircraft came down and burst into flames, creating a horrifying scene of fire and blast sounds. The sound was so intense that many initially thought something had blown up on the ground, until they saw flames rising from the field near the runway.

People rushed to help, but chaos quickly took control. Thick smoke was coming out, fire ripped through the crash, and burning debris stopped anyone from getting near. One witness said the plane crashed into the ground just short of the runway, then exploded almost instantly. Flames took everything.

News of Pawar's death spread quickly throughout Maharashtra and far beyond. The shock was profound. People were distraught and disbelieving; no one wanted to accept it. Leaders from all parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, paid tribute to Pawar’s years of service and expressed their condolences.

Ajit Pawar was not just another politician. He was the nephew of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, cousin to MP Supriya Sule, and had served multiple times as deputy chief minister. For decades, he had a significant impact on Maharashtra politics. Losing him so suddenly in an air crash is a devastating blow to the state and its people.