Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar passed away when his chartered plane crashed while landing at Baramati Airport on 28 January 2026. He was 66 years old. The accident claimed the lives of five people, including Pawar’s security personnel, two pilots, and a female crew member.

Pawar was scheduled to address four rallies for the district council elections in Pune on 5 February. He departed from Mumbai at 8:10 AM. According to Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, the pilot attempted to land at Baramati Airport, but the runway was not clearly visible. The plane was brought to altitude again, and a second landing attempt at Runway-11 was made, during which the aircraft crashed before reaching the runway and caught fire. No emergency signal or "mayday" call was made by the pilot.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis reached Baramati and announced school closures and three days of state mourning. Pawar’s last rites are scheduled at Baramati on 29 January at 11 AM. His uncle Sharad Pawar, wife Sunetra, both sons, and sister Supriya Sule also reached Baramati.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun probing the crash. A team visited the office of the plane operator VSR Ventures in Delhi. The company stated that the pilot had 16,000 flying hours of experience, while the co-pilot had 1,500 hours. VSR Ventures claimed there were no technical faults in the aircraft.

Ajit Pawar belonged to the NCP, which is part of the Maharashtra coalition government with BJP-Shiv Sena. The party had a total of 41 MLAs including Pawar, with seven cabinet ministers and one state minister in the government.