Ajit Pawar Passes Away: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to pay their last respects to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
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Pawar, who was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections, died when his plane crash-landed around 8:48 a.m. Authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, have dispatched teams to investigate the incident.
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis announced a state holiday and three days of mourning across the state. During this period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all official buildings, and state government offices will remain closed on Wednesday. No government entertainment programmes will be held.
Addressing reporters, Fadnavis described Pawar’s death as a personal loss. “Ajit Dada was a hardworking leader and did not shake in any circumstances. It is a difficult day for Maharashtra. He had major contributions to the state’s development. His demise is shocking, and for me, it is a personal loss; a friend has left me,” he said.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader’s last rites will be performed with full state honours. According to Kiran, trustee of Vidya Pratishthan, Pawar’s mortal remains will be kept at Vidya Pratishthan ground for the public to pay their respects on Wednesday, with the cremation scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Ajit Pawar, the longest-serving deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, held the post six times under different governments, including those led by Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to Pawar’s family and spoke with veteran politician Sharad Pawar.