Ajit Pawar Passes Away: ‘Plane Crash Incident Must Definitely Be Investigated,’ Says Eknath Shinde

Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, and four other people died in a plane crash on 28 January. A plane crash at Baramati in Pune District claimed the life of the state's most powerful politician. He was sixty-six. Ajit Pawar was accompanied by two crew members, an attendant, and his personal security guard. During landing at Baramati Airport, the VT-SSK Learjet 45 crashed close to the Runway 11 threshold. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported that all five passengers perished.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his grief and said, “I have lost my elder brother. With Ajit Pawar’s passing, a mountain of grief has fallen upon Maharashtra. The entire state has suffered a huge loss. No one could have imagined such a tragedy even in their dreams.” He also stated that the unfortunate accident should be thoroughly investigated.

Demand for an inquiry into the accident
“Our colleague has lost his life in this plane crash along with others on board. Therefore, this aircraft accident must definitely be investigated, and it certainly should be, because such incidents must not happen again in the future. This is necessary, and the investigation into this accident will also take place,” Eknath Shinde said.

Eknath Shinde called the accident an extremely unfortunate incident that leaves the heart wounded. He said, “A deeply painful and heart-wrenching incident has occurred in Maharashtra today. Truly, no one could have imagined this even in their dreams. Ajit Dada leaving us so suddenly is an extremely sad and unfortunate event for Maharashtra. For many years, Ajit Dada had been leading Maharashtra’s politics. We have seen his sharp, outspoken nature and his strong grip on administration. He had a habit of studying even the smallest details before speaking. Though he was forthright, fearless, and spoke bluntly, he always called a mistake a mistake and what was right as right. He was extremely pure at heart—I have personally experienced this.”

#WATCH | Delhi | On the passing away of his colleague Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde says," It is an unfortunate day for Maharashtra. This is a painful incident for su and whole of Maharashtra. Ajit Dada was a man of his word. We worked as a team when I was the CM,… pic.twitter.com/6eVGza16Uo

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2026

Sharing Ajit Pawar’s working style, Eknath Shinde said, “I worked with him in the Cabinet as well. When I was Chief Minister, he also served as Deputy Chief Minister. When schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana and other initiatives were launched in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar handled the state’s financial framework and provisions in an excellent and efficient manner. I have had a very good experience of working with him. Once Ajit Dada decided to do something, he did it. Words like ‘we’ll see’ or ‘we’ll think about it’ were not in his dictionary. If something was good, he said it should be done; if it was bad, he clearly said no. Maharashtra has witnessed his straightforwardness. Whether it was me, or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, or Ajit Dada, even though our working hours were different, we would work until late night or early morning. Ajit Dada would start work early at dawn and even gave appointments at six in the morning. Public representatives and officials alike have experienced his work ethic. He valued time and worked with discipline. Such a leader has been lost,” Shinde said.

“Just a day or two ago, we met at a program and had discussions and conversations. When I learned about this incident this morning, all those moments and memories came flooding back. He was an experienced leader in politics, older than me in age and also richer in experience. He had an in-depth understanding of many major issues in the state and had handled several departments, greatly benefiting Maharashtra. In Cabinet meetings, we have seen Ajit Dada fearlessly state that the state’s financial condition required austerity. With Ajit Pawar’s passing, the loss is not only to his family but an irreparable loss to the entire state of Maharashtra. Since he was older than me, the closeness that developed over many years remains. Even though the three of us worked together in politics, I deeply feel the sorrow and pain of losing a big brother in politics. I pay my heartfelt tribute to him,” Shinde said.

People who were with Ajit Pawar during the Baramati plane crash

Deputy Chief Minister: Ajit Pawar
Captain: Sumit Kapoor
Captain: Shambhavi Pathak
Bodyguard: Videep Jadhav
Cabin crew: Pinki Mali