Ajit Pawar plane crash: MPs across parties mourn “heart-rending” loss, remember his role in Baramati’s growth

An emotional Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said the news had left the Pawar family devastated. Calling the loss “extremely painful,” Sawant described Pawar as a decisive and fearless leader who played a crucial role in shaping the development of the Baramati region. He extended his condolences to the entire Pawar family.

#WATCH | Delhi | On Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's death in a charter plane crash in Baramati, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant says," I always did what he said. He was a bold man. He had a big role in the development of the Baramati region. I express my condolences to the… pic.twitter.com/x763glD5XQ

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2026

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad said the tragedy had stunned Maharashtra. Recalling her time working with Pawar during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, she said his work ethic and administrative style were widely respected. “The entire state is grieving today,” she said, offering condolences on behalf of her party.

#WATCH | On the death of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a crash landing in Baramati, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad says, "I heard the news about Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. This is really unfortunate. When we had the Maha Vikas Aghadi govt (in Maharashtra), I received the… pic.twitter.com/vajabSDtqc

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2026

Priyanka Chaturvedi calls loss ‘immeasurable’

Ajit Pawar was the nephew of veteran NCP founder Sharad Pawar and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Most MPs were in the national capital for the Budget Session of Parliament, which begins today.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi termed the incident “shocking, painful and heart-rending.” While acknowledging political differences, she said Pawar was deeply committed to his work and expressed sympathy to Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Sunetra Pawar, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar, as well as the people of Baramati, calling the loss “immeasurable.”

Charter aircraft crashed during landing near Baramati

According to officials, the small charter aircraft took off from Mumbai around 8 am and crashed near Baramati airport about 45 minutes later while attempting to land. Visuals from the site showed flames, smoke and the wreckage of the aircraft. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said all passengers on board the plane died in the crash.

The Maharashtra government said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to receive updates on the accident.

Calls for probe, leaders recall Pawar’s political legacy

Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N K Premachandran called the incident shocking and said the cause of the crash must be thoroughly investigated. DMK MP T Siva described Pawar as a dynamic leader and said he was at a loss for words over the tragedy.

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, while Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the crash marked a deeply tragic day for the country, calling Pawar’s death an irreparable loss to national politics.

Pawar was travelling to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad elections. He had been in Mumbai a day earlier for a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure chaired by CM Fadnavis, which was also attended by state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and senior officials.

Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in non-consecutive terms, having held the post six times under different governments led by Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. He is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and their two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.

(With inputs from ANI)

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