Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Dies in Baramati Plane Crash

• Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati while traveling from Mumbai for Zilla Panchayat Parishad election campaign.
• The private aircraft, a Learjet 45 (VT-SSK), crashed upon landing at approximately 8:10 AM, followed by a fuel tank explosion.
• A total of 6 people were on board, including Ajit Pawar, two pilots (Captain Sumit Kapoor, Captain Shambhavi Pathak), two personal assistants (Videep Jadhav, Pinky Mali), and one NCP worker; all perished.
• Ajit Pawar had previously requested the government to widen the narrow airstrip at Baramati Airport to prevent such incidents.
• His sudden death at 66 has created a significant void in Maharashtra politics, where he was active for 40 years.

Why It Matters: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and five others died in a plane crash in Baramati, sparking widespread grief.