Maharashtra woke up to tragedy on Wednesday as Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar lost his life in a plane crash near Baramati. The incident occurred during the aircraft’s landing attempt, barely half an hour after it departed from Mumbai earlier in the morning.

Officials confirmed that all five occupants of the small aircraft — including pilots and security personnel — died on the spot. Visuals from the crash site showed burning debris, thick smoke and emergency teams rushing to the area. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe to determine the cause of the accident.

The 66-year-old leader was travelling to Baramati to attend a series of public engagements ahead of upcoming local body elections. Flight tracking data indicated that the aircraft disappeared from radar shortly before the crash, reportedly during a second attempt to land.

Ajit Pawar, a key figure in Maharashtra politics for decades, served multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister under different chief ministers across political alliances. In 2023, he led a split within the NCP and later joined the NDA government, becoming Deputy CM once again. In recent months, there had been indications of a possible reconciliation within the Pawar family and the party.

He was the nephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar and cousin of MP Supriya Sule. Family members, senior NCP leaders and state officials are expected to reach Pune shortly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Pawar’s death as shocking and heartbreaking, remembering him as a grassroots leader deeply connected to the people of Maharashtra. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed grief, calling his death a major loss to public life. Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said the tragedy had cut short a long political journey.

Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra and sons Parth and Jay. The Maharashtra government is expected to announce official mourning measures as investigations into the crash continue.