The Maharashtra government on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) announced a three-day mourning as a mark of respect on the passing away of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced three days of state mourning to honour Pawar's contributions to the state and its people. Pawar was en route to Baramati to address a public rally ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections. The aircraft, Learjet 45, on which Pawar was travelling, was scheduled to take off at 7:00 A.M. Instead, it took off at 8:10 A.M., and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) received information about the crash at 9:12 A.M.
News agency PTI quoted a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as saying that the aircraft was carrying five persons in total, including Pawar, two accompanying staff members and two crew members.Meanwhile, leaders from across party lines have expressed grief over Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise.Expressing grief over Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s demise, CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “I am at a loss for words. We all stand with the family and the party. Once the family reaches Baramati, we will discuss and decide on the next steps. Eknath Shinde ji and I are heading to Baramati. We have also informed the Prime Minister and Home Minister about the crash. We are all in shock.”
Following the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, condolences poured in from across the political spectrum. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed condolences. From the Opposition, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi joined others in extending their condolences, while leaders across states, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also expressed grief over the loss.Ajit Pawar was the longest serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as deputy chief minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.