Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state, was killed on Wednesday when a charter aircraft carrying him crashed and erupted into flames during its approach to Baramati, aviation authorities confirmed. Four other people on board also died, and officials said there were no survivors.
The aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by private firm VSR Ventures, was flying from Mumbai to Baramati, a political stronghold of the Pawar family, where the veteran politician was scheduled to campaign in local body elections.
In an initial statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said two members of Pawar’s staff and two flight crew were also on board at the time of the crash.
“No person on board has survived,” the regulator said, adding that emergency responders reached the scene shortly after the aircraft went down but were unable to carry out any rescues due to intense fire.
An eyewitness quoted by the ANI news agency said the aircraft was already ablaze when it hit the ground. “At first it was on fire, after that there were four or five more explosions,” the witness said, explaining that the flames were too fierce for anyone to get close.
VK Singh, director of VSR Ventures, told broadcaster India Today that the plane crashed while attempting to land in Baramati. He said the cause was not immediately clear.
“The aircraft is 100 percent safe, and the crew was fairly experienced,” Singh said, while noting that investigators would need time to determine what went wrong.
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Media reports said the aircraft may have attempted an emergency landing shortly before the crash, though aviation officials have not confirmed that detail.
Ajit Pawar was one of the most influential politicians in Maharashtra and a central figure in the state’s recent political realignment. He hailed from a powerful political family and was long associated with the Nationalist Congress Party before leading a high profile split in 2023.
Following the split, Pawar aligned his faction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, helping to form the current state government and assuming the role of deputy chief minister.
His sudden death removes a key power broker from Maharashtra politics at a time when the state is preparing for multiple local and regional elections.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the news on X, calling Pawar’s death “shocking and saddening.” He offered condolences to Pawar’s family, colleagues, and supporters, describing the loss as deeply painful for public life.
Several senior leaders across party lines also expressed grief, highlighting Pawar’s long career in state politics and his influence on governance in western India.
The aviation regulator said a full investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Officials will examine flight data, weather conditions, aircraft maintenance records, and air traffic communications.