Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Live Updates: PM Modi Speaks To Sharad Pawar; Funeral Tomorrow

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar broke his silence on the demise of his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday evening.

Addressing reporters, Sharad Pawar said Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader, and this loss is irreparable. "Not all things are in our hands," he added.

"A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it," he added.

Maharashtra and Gujarat Governor Acharya Devbrat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning. Devbrat, Fadnavis and Shinde came to Baramati and headed to Vidya Prathishthan, where they met Sunetra Pawar and expressed grief.

Ajit Pawar's cousin and MP Supriya Sule also arrived at the Vidya Prathisthan to pay last respects to 'Ajit Dada'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar and expressed grief over the demise of Ajit Pawar. Ajit Pawar's funeral will be held on January 29 at 11 AM in Baramati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be present for Ajit Pawar's funeral, which will be held at the ground of Vidya Prathishthan.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray paid tribute to Ajit Pawar and remembered him as a strong leader and fine colleague. "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 that 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.

"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.

Uddhav Thackeray's son and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray too recalled his memories of Ajit Pawar. In a post on X, Aaditya said, "Ajit dada's news is truly shocking! Words fail me. I had the opportunity to work with Dada for 5–6 years... first in the government and then for a few days in the opposition. His commanding grip on legislative affairs and his affectionate nature won over many like me. Even when I was in the opposition, I had publicly said this many times. Today's news is truly shocking. My humble tribute to Ajit Dada and his colleagues in the accident."

A CCTV footage of the moment the aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and four others crashed in Baramati has emerged. The footage shows the Learjet 45 aircraft crashing and turning into a ball of flames. All aboard were killed in the incident that took place at Baramati airport. CCTV timestamp reads 8.45 am when a huge ball of fire can be seen a few hundred metres away. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is on its way to Baramati to start an investigation into the incident. Pawar, 66, was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's death. Pawar, along with four others, was killed in a plane crash at Baramati this morning.

"We have no faith in any agency," Banerjee said in Kolkata, PTI reported.

In a separate post on X, Banerjee said she was 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 today 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 all friends and followers. The incident needs proper investigation," she said in her post.

A team of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is on the way to Baramati. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the AAIB team has left from Delhi to Pune and finally to Baramati to inspect and start the investigation of the crash.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation also said that the Director General of AAIB is on the way to Hyderabad airport to catch a flight to Mumbai.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said Maharashtra has lost an outstanding leader in Ajit Pawar.

In an elaborate post on X, Raj Thackeray said, "My friend and Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Ajit Pawar, has passed away. Maharashtra's politics has lost an outstanding leader. Ajit Pawar and I entered politics around the same time, though our acquaintance came much later. But on the strength of his sheer passion for politics, Ajit Pawar took great strides in Maharashtra's political arena. Though Ajit Pawar was a leader forged in the mold of Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar), he later carved out his own independent identity."

"And he imprinted that identity in every nook and corner of Maharashtra. In the 1990s, urbanisation gained momentum in Maharashtra. Rural areas began tilting toward semi-urbanisation, yet the tone of politics there remained rural, even as the nature of their issues started turning somewhat urban. Ajit Pawar had a complete grasp of this kind of politics and the skill to handle it adeptly. Pimpri Chinchwad and Baramati are two excellent examples of that," said Thackeray.

"Whether it was Pimpri Chinchwad or Baramati, Ajit Dada transformed these regions in ways that even his political opponents would acknowledge. He was a leader with a precise grip on administration and an exact knowledge of where to untangle the knots in a file to resolve it. In an era when administration must rise above those in power, it is extremely tragic that Maharashtra has lost such a leader. Ajit Pawar was remarkably straightforward. If something couldn't be done, he'd say it to your face, and if it could, he'd put all his energy into it. Deceiving people by making promises and surrounding himself with crowds wasn't his style," added Thackeray.

"In politics, one has to pay a price for straightforwardness and candor—I know that from experience, and one can imagine how much Ajit Pawar must have had to pay for it. Another quality of Ajit Pawar that I admired was that he was utterly free of caste bias, and caste had absolutely no place in his politics. In today's politics, leaders who demonstrate the courage to engage without regard for caste are dwindling, and Ajit Pawar was undoubtedly at the forefront among them. Opposition in politics is political, not personal. That's why leaders in Maharashtra who keep in mind that poisonous criticism of each other shouldn't be taken personally are becoming fewer. The successive departure of generous opponents from politics is a great loss to Maharashtra's fine political tradition. My family and I share in the grief of the Pawar family. On behalf of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, heartfelt tribute to Ajit Pawar," added Raj Thackeray.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said there is a shockwave in Maharashtra. "For all of us, it is a loss. For me personally, he was a friend. A three-day state mourning has been announced in the state. We will speak to the members of the Pawar family. I, along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will go to Baramati. I briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the accident. All of are in shock," Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday to enquire about the plane crash in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed.

Pawar, 66, and four other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near his hometown Baramati, in Pune district on Wednesday morning. PM Modi and Union minister Shah later called up Fadnavis and took information about the plane crash, sources said.

In a post on X, Modi said Pawar's death was untimely and very shocking. Ajit Pawar was a leader of the people with a strong grassroots level connect, he said. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader had left early on Wednesday from Mumbai for Baramati, where he was scheduled to address rallies for the February 5 zilla parishad polls.

Family members and supporters of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar have started arriving at the Baramati Medical College and Hospital following the tragic plane crash earlier in the day. Ajit Pawar and four others died in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the deaths.

The plane crashed while landing near Baramati. Visuals from the spot show fire and smoke, mangled remains of the plane, and ambulances rushing the injured to nearby hospitals. There were people at the wreckage site trying to extend help in every possible way. This incident occurred around 9 am, an hour after the plane took off from Mumbai.NCP(SP) chief and Ajit Pawar's uncle, Sharad Pawar, departed from his residence for Baramati along with his family.

Ajit Pawar's wife and Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar, their son Parth Pawar, and his cousin NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule will depart from Delhi for Mumbai soon. Meanwhile, a large crowd has gathered outside the hospital. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde will also depart for Baramati soon. The state government has also cancelled all the official events in view of the plane crash.

Minister Dattatray Vithoba Bharne, who arrived at the hospital, was seen in tears over the death of Ajit Pawar. NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, while speaking to the media in Nagpur, became emotional when asked about Deputy CM Pawar. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he folded his hands and walked away.

Amid ongoing elections to the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, Dy CM Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a public meeting. Emergency services and senior security officials have reached the site in Baramati. Rescue teams were deployed immediately after the aircraft lost control during the landing phase. Three bodies were rushed to the Baramati Medical College. The identification of the bodies is underway, as per the Pune Superintendent of Police (SP). A team of DGCA officials has arrived at the plane crash site. More details were awaited about the plane crash.

The ill-fated aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar appeared "a bit unstable in the air" and exploded the moment it crashed on the ground near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, according to a woman eyewitness.

Another person who witnessed the incident said that after the crash, the aircraft burst into flames, followed by four to five consecutive blasts. Pawar (66) and four other persons were killed after their aircraft crashed near Baramati at 8.50 am, as per officials. The woman said she noticed the aircraft in the morning as it circled the Baramati airport.

"It took a round in the air, appeared a bit unstable and as it was approaching the runway to land, it hit the ground hard and exploded. There was a loud sound that could be heard at our home," the woman told a news channel. She said several parts of the aircraft were hurled into the air after the explosion and fell near her house. "The plane tilted before coming down. We saw the explosion and it was frightening," she said. Read More...

Ajit Anantrao Pawar, popularly known as 'Dada', was a dominant force in Maharashtra politics, known for his administrative efficiency, blunt speaking style, and his recent role in reshaping the state's political landscape. He served as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (his 6th non-consecutive term) in the Mahayuti government, led by Devendra Fadnavis (CM) and Eknath Shinde (Deputy CM).

He was the National President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).In early 2024, the Election Commission of India officially recognised his faction as the "real" NCP, granting him the party name and the "Clock" symbol. He oversaw critical departments of the Maharashtra government, including Finance and Planning, effectively controlling the state’s purse strings.

He represented the Baramati Assembly constituency seven consecutive times since 1991, winning by massive margins every time. His power base was rooted in Maharashtra’s cooperative sector. Dada served as the chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank (PDC) for 16 years and has immense influence over sugar cooperatives and milk unions.

He had held almost every major ministerial portfolio in Maharashtra, including Water Resources, Power, and Rural Development, under various Chief Ministers (Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, and Uddhav Thackeray). Ajit Pawar’s political relevance was defined by his willingness to take bold and controversial risks.In a shocking move, he took oath as Deputy CM with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis in an early morning ceremony in November 2019. The government lasted only 80 hours before he returned to his uncle, Sharad Pawar.

In July 2023, he led a major vertical split in the NCP, joining the Eknath Shinde-led government. This move effectively challenged the 25-year leadership of his uncle and mentor, Sharad Pawar. He was widely respected by bureaucrats for his "pro-action" approach.

Ajit Pawar was known for starting his day as early as 6.00 a.m. and making on-the-spot decisions. His public image was that of a leader who doesn't mince words -- often telling citizens "yes" or "no" immediately rather than giving vague promises. Although Ajit Pawar was able to establish his hold in state politics over the years, his career was dogged by allegations related to the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank case. However, he has consistently denied wrongdoing and has received various legal clearances.

Ajit was the nephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar. While the family has seen a bitter political split, recent reports in 2026 suggest tactical alliances or "friendly fights" between the two NCP factions in local elections, keeping the family’s overall grip on the sugar belt intact. He was married to Sunetra Pawar, who is also active in social and political work in Baramati. Following his defeat in the Lok Sabha to his cousin and NCP-SP candidate Supriya Sule from the Baramati constituency, Ajit Pawar appointed his wife Sunetra to the Rajya Sabha. (IANS)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to react to the shocking death of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday morning.

PM Modi called the untimely demise "shocking and saddening" and offered condolences to Pawar's family and his admirers. "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," PM Modi said in a post on X.

An aircraft carrying Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, including two crew members crash landed at Baramati airport, killing all five persons on board, a senior DGCA official said on Wednesday. A team of DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials is heading to the crash site, the official said.

There were five passengers -- Deputy CM of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar onboard along with two more personnel (one PSO and one attendant) and two crew members (pilot in-command and the first officer) -- on board the Learjet 45 aircraft when the accident happened, he said. According to initial information, no person on board survived the crash, the official said.