Ajit Pawar News Updates: PM Modi, Amit Shah likely to attend last rites

Ajit Pawar News: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, 66, passed away on Wednesday in a tragic plane crash in Baramati, and his last rites are slated to be held on Thursday, 29 January, at 11 am at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit and other senior political figures are expected to be in attendance.

Three days of mourning has been announced in Maharashtra by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and national flags across the state will be flying in half-mast to honour its longest serving Deputy Chief Minister.

Details about the plane crash

Pawar's plane took off from Mumbai at around 8.10 am on Wednesday, and after 35 minutes in the air, crash-landed at Baramati, where the NCP leader was headed to address public rallies ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections.

Shortly after the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all five on board, including Pawar, his personal security officer, a flight attendant, and the two pilots had perished.

The aircraft that crashed, a Learjet 45 by Bombardier Aerospace being operated by Delhi-based VSR Aviation, had reportedly undergone its first safety audit in February 2025, and VSR founder V K Singh attributed the crash to the pilot being unable to see the runway on which the plane was attempting to land. The airstrip in Baramati reportedly lacked navigational aids to help the aircraft land automatically.

The probe into the crash has been taken over by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is being aided by the Pune police.

Grief across party lines

As news of Ajit Pawar's death broke, leaders across party lines, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to opposition leaders expressed their grief and shock at his passing.

Ajit Pawar's uncle and NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, in an address later in the day, dismissed speculation on foul play started by Mamata Banerjee, saying, “Some people are trying to give a political colour to the incident. There is no politics involved; it is purely an accident. It has caused immense grief to me and to the entire state of Maharashtra. I appeal to everyone not to politicize this tragedy.”

As the day goes on, follow this space for LIVE updates.