Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others died when a private charter plane crashed near Baramati while attempting to land, officials said.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a senior political leader, was among five people killed on January 28, 2026, when the private jet carrying him crashed near Baramati in Pune district while attempting to land, authorities confirmed.
The chartered Learjet 45XR aircraft, operated by VSR Aviation with registration VT-SSK, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai and vanished from radar shortly before 9:00 am local time. It reportedly crashed about 100–200 feet from the runway at Baramati Airport, bursting into flames on impact.
All five people on board — Ajit Pawar, two crew members and two other personnel — died in the accident, with no survivors. Emergency responders said the aircraft was destroyed by fire, and wreckage was scattered over an open field near the airport.
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Preliminary data and flight-tracking information suggest that the aircraft was attempting a second approach and may have encountered poor visibility and challenging conditions near the runway at the time of landing. Official investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) expected to examine flight data and black box recordings.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was a long-time political figure and the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He was travelling to Baramati to participate in election-related events connected to the upcoming Zilla Parishad polls. Widely respected within Maharashtra politics, Pawar’s death prompted expressions of grief from leaders across the political spectrum.
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Union and state officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, offered condolences, and three days of state mourning were announced in Maharashtra. Pawar’s body was brought to Baramati, with a state funeral scheduled for January 29, 2026. Senior political leaders, including Cabinet ministers and top party officials, are expected to attend.
His family includes his wife, Sunetra Pawar (a Member of Parliament), and two sons. Leaders and analysts noted that Pawar’s absence will have political ramifications in Maharashtra’s governance and party dynamics, though discussions about succession within his political faction are ongoing.
