Baramati (Maharashtra) [India], January 28 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar died on Wednesday in a tragic plane crash at Baramati airport, bringing an end to a long political career marked by significant achievements and challenges.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), five people, including crew members, were on board the chartered aircraft flying from Mumbai to Baramati when it crash-landed at around 8:45 a.m. near the runway threshold at Baramati airport. All five occupants lost their lives in the incident.
Pawar was travelling with two personnel — one personal security officer (PSO) and one attendant — along with two crew members. He was en route to Baramati to attend a public rally in connection with the Zilla Parishad elections.
Ajit Pawar was born on July 22, 1959, at Deolali Pravara in Rahuri taluka of Ahmednagar district. Popularly known as “Ajit Dada,” he was admired for his tireless efforts for the people of Maharashtra and his strong connection with grassroots politics.
Apart from his contributions to government administration, Pawar played a key role in the cooperative sector, heading the management of several milk unions and federations, as well as sugar factories.
His leadership journey began with his involvement in cooperative institutions such as milk unions, cooperative societies, sugar factories and banks. A major turning point came in 1991 when he was elected to the Lok Sabha. He later vacated the Baramati seat for his uncle, veteran leader Sharad Pawar.
Over the years, Ajit Pawar held several important positions, including Member of the Legislative Assembly, Minister of State in key departments, and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
He was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of the state in non-consecutive terms, having held the position six times under various governments led by Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
Ajit Pawar was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991 from the Baramati Parliamentary constituency. He was later elected seven times to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Baramati Assembly constituency — first in a 1991 by-election and subsequently in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
In November 2019, he engineered a split in the NCP and joined a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, becoming Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission awarded the party name and symbol to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar.
Despite political differences, Ajit Pawar remained close to his uncle Sharad Pawar, under whose guidance he began his political career. In the recent Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal elections, the rival factions of the NCP came together in an alliance and projected a united development agenda for Pune.
Known for his straightforward approach and frankness, Ajit Pawar leaves behind his wife, Sunetra Pawar, and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar. (ANI)
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