Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed along with four others after a Learjet aircraft carrying them crashed near the Baramati airport in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday. Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member, and his two sons, Parth and Jay. In his condolence message, Amit Shah said Ajit Pawar’s demise was a personal loss not only for the NDA family but also for him. Modi and Shah also spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to enquire about the incident. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde termed the death of his colleague sad and unfortunate, and said the aircraft accident would be thoroughly probed.

Source: The Telegraph January 28, 2026 13:23 UTC