Ajit Pawar’s Last Rites to Be Held Today in Baramati with Full State Honours

The mortal remains of NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were taken to his residence in Katewadi on Thursday morning, ahead of his final rites scheduled for 11 am at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati.

Pawar’s son, Jay Pawar, reached the family home to pay his last respects. The funeral will be conducted with full state honours.

Ajit Pawar, 66, and four others died in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday morning, raising serious questions about the flight operator and the condition of the airstrip.

Leaders to Attend Funeral

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior political leaders from across parties, and members of the public are expected to attend the funeral.

Large crowds, including party workers and supporters from Baramati and other parts of Maharashtra, have gathered to pay tribute to the late leader.

Details of the Crash

Ajit Pawar was travelling in a mid-size Learjet 45 business aircraft that took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am for Baramati, where he was scheduled to address rallies for upcoming rural body elections.

According to officials:

• The aircraft began descending 13 minutes after take-off but aborted its first landing attempt due to poor visibility.

• After circling, pilots attempted a second landing at 8.43 am.

• A minute later, air traffic control observed flames near the runway as the aircraft veered off course and crashed.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu initially suggested that visibility issues may have played a role. However, the ministry later said weather conditions were calm, with visibility at around 3,000 metres.

Others Killed in the Crash

Along with Ajit Pawar, the following people lost their lives:

• Captain Sumit Kapoor

• First Officer Shambavi Pathak

• Flight Attendant Pinky Mali

• Personal Security Officer Vidhit Jadhav

Sharad Pawar Appeals Against Politicisation

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar urged people not to politicise his nephew’s death.

Calling the crash an accident, he said that “politics should not be brought into this.”

Ajit Pawar’s Political Legacy

Born on July 22, 1959, to Asha and Anantrao Pawar, Ajit Pawar entered politics in 1982 after being elected to the board of a sugar factory.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati in 1991 and later vacated the seat for his uncle, Sharad Pawar. He went on to serve as Baramati MLA for eight consecutive terms.

Ajit Pawar served as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister a record six times under chief ministers Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde.

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