A plane crash killed Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state in India, the country’s aviation regulator confirmed Wednesday.
The aircraft took off from Mumbai, the state capital, and crash-landed at the airport in Baramati, Pawar’s constituency, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Two staff members and two crew members also died in the crash.
Officials have not confirmed the cause of the crash.
Flightradar24, an online flight tracking service, said the aircraft was making a second approach to Baramati airport when it crashed.
The DGCA told The Times of India newspaper that the aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by VSR, crashed at about 8:45 a.m. local time.
Pawar, the nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, who founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was traveling to a public rally for district council elections.
A witness told the newspaper that the aircraft exploded moments after it hit the ground.
“When we rushed to the spot, the aircraft was on fire. There were four to five more explosions. People tried to pull the passengers out, but the fire was too intense,” the witness said.
Political Career
Pawar, 66, built his political base through the grassroots cooperative movement. He served as the second-highest elected official in Maharashtra as part of the federal governing coalition led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He held considerable influence in the state’s sugar belt and was known for his ability to mobilize rural voters.
Response
The news triggered an outpouring of emotion.
Crowds gathered outside the Baramati hospital where officials took his body. The state declared three days of mourning. Flags will fly at half-staff, government offices and schools will remain closed, and officials will cancel public events.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had “no words to express my emotions.”
“I have lost my strong and generous friend,” Fadnavis posted on social media.
Modi posted on X that Pawar’s “untimely demise” was “shocking and saddening.”
He was “widely respected as a hardworking personality,” the prime minister said, adding that “his passion for the empowerment of the poor and the deprived was noteworthy.”
