Ajit Pawar Plane Crash: Prez Murmu, PM Modi And Leaders Across Parties Mourn Maharashtra Deputy CM's Death

Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday morning. The incident triggered shock across the country, with leaders from all political parties expressing grief and condolences.

Leading the obituaries was President Droupadi Murmu, who said Ajit Pawar's untimely death is an irreparable loss.

In a post on X, she said, "He will always be remembered for his special contribution to the development of Maharashtra, especially in the cooperative sector. I express my deep condolences to his family, supporters, and admirers. May God grant strength to the families of all others who lost their lives in this accident to bear this blow."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed deep sorrow over the death of Ajit Pawar and called him a "leader of the people" with a strong connection to the grassroots and one who was widely respected for his hard work and dedication to public service.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra. His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti."

"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," PM Modi posted.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and received updates on the plane crash near Baramati.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said Pawar's death was a huge personal and political loss. Calling him a close friend and a committed leader, Gadkari took to X and said, "The news of the sudden demise of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar ji is extremely shocking, unfortunate, and heartbreaking. My heartfelt tribute to him. Over the past many years, while working together in the state legislature, I shared an extremely close bond with Ajit dada."

"His administrative acumen, developmental vision, and innate ability to connect with people have ensured that Ajit Dada always holds an unassailable position in Maharashtra's politics. The untimely passing of this people's leader, who harboured aspirations for Maharashtra's development, is not just a loss for Maharashtra but an irreplaceable one for the entire nation. On this sorrowful occasion, my condolences are with the entire Pawar family," the post further read.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed grief over the demise of Ajit Pawar. Taking to X, he said, "The news of the tragic demise of Shri Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash, is deeply shocking and profoundly distressing. It is an untimely loss of a leader who had a long and promising political career ahead. No words can adequately express the immense grief that the bereaved family must be enduring during this difficult hour. I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Pawar family, his supporters and well-wishers."

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also expressed grief, calling Ajit Pawar a man of integrity and a committed public leader.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said it is painful news. "Ajit Pawar was leading the Maharashtra politics for a long time. We have seen his hold on the administration and his straightforward nature. He worked as Deputy Chief Minister when I was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra," Shinde told reporters in Thane.

"We worked as a team - be it myself, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or Ajit Pawar. He used to start his day very early," recalled Shinde.

Maharashtra Minister and senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar said Maharashtra has lost an experienced and steadfast leader. Shelar posted on X, " Heart-Numbing Tragic Incident. The news of the untimely demise of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajitdada Pawar, in an aeroplane crash is extremely painful and shocking. Through this heart-numbing, tragic incident, the state has lost an experienced, dutiful, and steadfast leader. His strong grip on the administration, decisiveness, and zeal for the all-round progress of Maharashtra have left a distinct mark on the state's politics. Steadfastness, discipline, punctuality, and unwavering diligence were the prominent facets of his personality. In this difficult time, we share in the grief of the Pawar family, along with all the workers, office-bearers, and leaders of the NCP. May they find the strength to recover from this sorrow—this is our prayer. Heartfelt tribute! Om Shanti."

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora said he was shocked beyond words. "I am shocked & saddened beyond words by the tragic passing of #Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Ajit Pawar ji in a plane crash in Baramati. My heartfelt condolences to Sunetra Pawar ji, Parth Pawar and & the entire Pawar family during this difficult time. Om Shanti. "

"I knew of Ajit Pawar from my father’s & his Congress days, even before NCP was formed. I got to know him personally between 1999–2014 during the Congress–NCP government in Maharashtra. He always struck me as pragmatic, accessible, affable & exceptionally hard-working, a well-organised & able administrator. Above all, he had a rare ability to bring mirth & light-heartedness even in the most difficult situations. That quality set him apart. He will be remembered as a mass leader who took life in his stride, regardless of the challenges he faced," added Deora.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee paid rich tributes to Ajit Pawar. Banerjee posted on X, "Deeply shocked and stunned by the sudden demise of Ajit Pawar! The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and his co-passengers have died in a disastrous plane crash at Baramati this morning, and I am feeling a deep sense of loss. My condolences to his family, including his uncle Sharad Pawar ji, and late Ajitji's friends and followers. The incident needs a proper investigation."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin also paid tribute to Pawar. In a post on X, Stalin said, "Deeply pained to learn of the death of Hon'ble Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Thiru. Ajit Pawar and others were in a tragic plane crash. The scale of the tragedy is difficult to absorb. I extend my sincere condolences to Thiru Sharad Pawar, Tmt Supriya Sule and the families of all those who lost their lives in this terrible accident."

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu also paid tribute to Ajit Pawar. In a post on X, Naidu said, "Deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Shri Ajit Pawar in the plane crash in Baramati earlier today. My sincere condolences to his family, loved ones and all those affected by this loss. May his contributions to public life be remembered, and may the bereaved find strength in this difficult time."

Maharashtra and Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat offered tribute to Ajit Pawar. An official release said, "At a condolence meeting held at Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, the Governor observed two minutes’ silence and paid homage to the late Ajit Pawar. Officers and staff of Lok Bhavan, along with police personnel and officers posted at Lok Bhavan, were also present on the occasion."

In a condolence message, the Governor said: "I was deeply saddened by the untimely demise of the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Ajit Pawar ji in a plane crash near Baramati. I pay my respects to Shri Ajit Pawar Ji and convey my heartfelt condolences to all the members of the bereaved family. Om Shanti."

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray remembered Ajit Pawar as a strong leader. "We have lost a strong leader and a fine colleague from my cabinet," said Uddhav Thackeray.

Ajit Pawar was a Finance Minister and a Deputy Chief Minister in Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet. "He was a highly disciplined leader with a solid command of his department and who had a fine grasp of economics and finance. He was an outstanding coworker, and we developed a unique bond between us. Ajit Pawar was a large-hearted person and would say whatever came to mind. He did not harbour any resentment towards any person. He did not allow the relationship to end despite his decision to pursue a different path in politics," added Uddhav Thackeray.

"He was referred to as 'Dada' in Maharashtra. It is shocking that he died so young. He was regarded as a leader who supported his party workers. There is now a leadership vacuum in the state due to his passing. In every meaning of the term, he was a true 'Dada'. On behalf of the Thackeray family, the Shiv Sena family, and myself, my sincere condolences to Dada!" said Uddhav Thackeray.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and others in a plane crash, saying he had dedicated his entire life to farmer welfare, public service and the nation’s development. In a post on ‘X’ in Hindi, Sai said, “The news of the tragic and untimely demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and others in a plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, is extremely saddening and heartbreaking.”

“Tributes to all the departed souls. We pray to Lord Rama to grant peace to the departed souls and provide strength to the grieving families to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti,” the chief minister added.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Pune district, and termed the accident "extremely heart-wrenching". Pawar's demise is an irreparable loss to Maharashtra politics, he said.

"We received the extremely heart-wrenching news of the sudden demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar ji, along with other individuals, in a plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. The sudden passing of Ajit ji is an irreparable loss to the politics of Maharashtra," Soren said in a post on X.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also paid tributes to Ajit Pawar. Western Maharashtra Provincial Organiser, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Nanasaheb Jadhav, said, "It is shocking to hear of the death by accident of Maharashtra's dynamic leader and Deputy Chief Minister, Ajitdada Pawar. We have lost a straightforward leader with a visionary approach to growth, which is a huge loss for the state's political and social sectors. May the Pawar family and all of the party workers have the strength to deal with this deep loss. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh extends its sincere condolences to Ajitdada and everyone who perished in the disaster. Om Shanti!"

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala expressed his deep condolences on the sudden demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. He stated that the passing of his long-time friend, Ajit Pawar, is a huge personal loss.

"I have shared a close bond with Ajit Pawar ever since my tenure as the NSU President. Later, when I became the All India President of the Youth Congress, I maintained that warm relationship with him and his family. This bond of affection continued even after he became a leader of the NCP.

I had the opportunity to interact with him more closely while working as the AICC in charge of Maharashtra. With his demise, a titan of Maratha politics has faded behind the curtain of time. I pray that his family finds the strength to bear this great shock," Ramesh Chennithala stated in his condolence message.

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