Ajit Pawar Passes Away: PM Modi Remembers 'Leader Of The People, Having A Strong Grassroots Level Connect'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (28 January) expressed his condolences over the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash.

“Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra. His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti.”, the Prime Minister wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Ajit Pawar and four other individuals were killed after the aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said. The incident occurred when the plane, which was transporting Pawar (66) and others, attempted to land near Baramati.

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According to data from FlightRadar, the aircraft departed Mumbai at 8.10 am and disappeared from radar shortly after 8.45 am. Pawar was travelling to Baramati to address a series of public meetings as part of the campaign for the Zilla Parishad elections scheduled for 5 February.

A police official said there were five people on board when the aircraft crashed at around 8.50 am.

Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said a fire broke out following the crash.“People onboard were immediately taken to the hospital,” he said. A source told PTI that the pilot had reported poor visibility near the runway shortly before attempting the landing.

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The Learjet 45 (LJ45) - a mid-size business jet manufactured by the Learjet division of Bombardier Aerospace - reportedly veered off the runway while landing at Baramati airport and burst into flames.

Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member, and their two sons, Parth and Jay.

Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had contested the recent municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad in alliance with the NCP (SP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar.

In a statement, the Maharashtra government said that Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah both contacted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to receive information and updates on the Baramati plane crash.

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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.

He is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and two sons Jay and Parth Pawar

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