Plane carrying an Indian politician crashes: 5 killed

Mr. Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra state in India and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is reported to have passed away this morning in a severe plane crash. A small aircraft flying from Mumbai to Baramati crashed, and all five individuals on board, including Mr. Pawar, lost their lives.

It has been confirmed that among the deceased are the two pilots of the aircraft and Mr. Pawar's security officers.

The aircraft, which departed from Mumbai around 8 AM today, encountered the accident while attempting to land at Baramati airport 45 minutes later. It is said that he was on this trip to attend four important public meetings related to the upcoming local government elections. According to visuals from the scene, a large fire and smoke erupted upon the plane's crash, and parts of the aircraft were scattered.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed that no one on board the aircraft survived the accident. Mr. Pawar was the nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar and also the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Upon hearing the news, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, who were in Delhi for the budget session, immediately began making arrangements to depart for Pune.

After a political upheaval within his party in 2023, Ajit Pawar joined the NDA government and assumed the post of Deputy Chief Minister, and recently there had been discussions in political circles about the two factions of the party reuniting. The aircraft involved in this accident is a Learjet 45 belonging to VSR company, and it is reported that a similar type of aircraft crashed in Mumbai in September 2023.

Expressing grief over the untimely demise of Ajit Pawar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he was an efficient administrator who maintained close ties with the public and a dedicated leader. Furthermore, Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also issued their condolences, appreciating his contribution to the development of Maharashtra.