Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister of India’s Maharashtra and a senior politician, was killed on Wednesday when the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crashed en route to his home region, authorities confirmed. Four others on board—including two staff members and two crew—also died, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.
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According to media reports, Pawar, who led a faction that split from the Nationalist Congress Party in 2023 and aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in the state government, was flying from Mumbai to Baramati, around 250 km away, to canvass in local body elections.
Indian media reporting the crash of a business jet this morning has claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and 4 others. The aircraft was attempting a second approach to Baramati Airport when it crashed. https://t.co/0RKiD9sZVU pic.twitter.com/1kcoWgc3I1
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 28, 2026
The aircraft reportedly attempted an emergency landing in Baramati before going down in flames. Video footage showed smoke rising from wreckage scattered across an open field. “No person on board has survived,” the aviation regulator said in an initial statement.
Pawar hailed from a prominent political family and had held several key positions in Maharashtra’s government. His faction’s alignment with the ruling party in the state made him a central figure in local and state-level politics.
#AjitPawar #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/dbfLkiUYKG
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 28, 2026
NCP Chief #AjitPawar dies in plane crash in Maharashtra’s #Baramati. Here are the visuals from the site pic.twitter.com/XLGgoPVujg
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 28, 2026
Authorities have not yet released details about the cause of the crash. Rescue and recovery operations were under way, while aviation and local officials cordoned off the area to facilitate investigations.
Ajit Pawar was a prominent political figure in Maharashtra and played a central role in state and national politics for decades. As leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, he held significant influence within the state’s coalition politics and had served multiple terms in senior government positions, including finance minister and deputy chief minister.
Tributes began pouring in from political leaders across party lines, who expressed shock and grief over the sudden loss. Several leaders described the incident as a major setback for Maharashtra’s political landscape.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on X, saying: “Saddened by the tragic air crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the crash. Praying for strength and courage for the bereaved families in this moment of profound grief.”
Saddened by the tragic air crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the crash. Praying for strength and courage for the bereaved families in this moment of profound grief.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2026
The incident follows a recent spate of aviation accidents in India. Last week, an Indian Air Force training aircraft crashed in Uttar Pradesh, though both pilots survived. In July 2025, over 200 people were killed when an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff, marking the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.
Investigations into Wednesday’s crash are underway, with authorities examining technical, operational, and weather-related factors that may have contributed to the accident.