Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar was cremated with full state honours on Thursday at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati.
His sons Parth and Jay performed the last rites, lighting the funeral pyre as thousands of supporters, family members, and top leaders stood in solemn silence.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Ramdas Athawale, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh, and NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar were among those who paid floral tributes. Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar and cousin Supriya Sule joined supporters chanting “Ajit Dada Amar Rahe” as his mortal remains were brought to the ground.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of mourners thronged Pawar’s Katewadi residence in Pune district to pay their respects, recalling his contributions to regional development.
Baramati Plane Crash
Ajit Pawar and four others died in a plane crash near Baramati’s tabletop airstrip. The victims included Captain Sumit Kapoor, co‑pilot Shambhavi Pathak, PSO Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The aircraft reportedly burst into flames just 200 metres from the runway edge after a failed landing attempt.
Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), while investigators recovered the black box containing the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that the aircraft had been cleared for landing after a go‑around due to poor visibility, but failed to provide a read‑back to ATC before the crash.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over Maharashtra politics, with leaders and citizens mourning the sudden loss of Ajit Pawar.
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