National, Jan 28: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday morning after an aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land near Baramati in Pune district, news agency PTI reported. Three other people on board were also killed in the accident.
Pawar was en route to Baramati to attend a public rally in connection with the Zilla Parishad elections when the aircraft went down. Emergency services reached the site soon after the crash, but there were no survivors, according to preliminary information from authorities.
The cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed. Officials said the extent of damage to the aircraft was being assessed and a formal investigation has been initiated to determine the factors that led to the tragedy.
A day earlier, Pawar had been in Mumbai, where he attended a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Authorities said verified details would be released as the investigation progresses.
Pawar, 66, was a prominent leader in Maharashtra politics and a senior figure in the NCP. His death in the crash marks a significant event in the state’s political landscape, and tributes are expected from across the political spectrum as more details emerge.
