Ajit Pawar, the NCP chief and deputy chief minister, was killed along with four others after a Learjet 45 aircraft crashed at Baramati, his hometown, on January 28. Sharad Pawar said efforts had been made to establish a cordial dialogue between the two sides. The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government. Ajit Pawar was appointed deputy chief minister at the time and retained the post even after Devendra Fadnavis became chief minister following the November 2024 assembly elections. He said the NCP leadership "was with Ajit Pawar and now with Sunetra Pawar Ji".

Source: The Telegraph January 31, 2026 16:01 UTC