Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a tragic plane crash on 28 January 2026 after a Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) crash-landed at Baramati airport. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that all five people on board, including Ajit Pawar, lost their lives.
Following the incident, the Maharashtra government declared three days of state mourning, and his last rites will be held in Baramati, Pune district, with full state honours at Vidya Pratishthan ground. Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid their last respects and met his family.
A six-time Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar had a political career spanning nearly four decades, served as Finance Minister, presented the state budget 11 times, and played a key role in the cooperative and sports sectors, earning him a strong mass connect and the title of “Dada” in Maharashtra politics.
