Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar passed away in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday morning, leaving the state and his party in shock. The chartered aircraft, flying from Mumbai to Baramati, crash-landed around 8:45 am, killing all five people on board, including the Deputy Chief Minister and the flight crew, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Ajit Pawar was heading to Baramati to attend a public rally in connection with the Zilla Parishad elections. On Tuesday, he had attended a Maharashtra Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure meeting in Mumbai, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alongside other state ministers including Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

News of the crash has left his family and the NCP in deep mourning. Supriya Sule, Pawar’s cousin and a senior NCP leader, expressed her grief through social media, posting a single-word tribute on WhatsApp: “Devastated.” Sule, who was in Delhi attending the Budget session of Parliament with Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar and son Parth Pawar, has immediately left for Baramati to be with the family.

Visuals circulating on social media show Yugendra Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s nephew, crying inconsolably, capturing the profound sense of loss within the family.

Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, holding the office across six non-consecutive terms in various state governments, including those led by Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde. Married to Sunetra Pawar, he is survived by two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.

Ajit Pawar’s political journey began in 1982 when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory. In 1991, he became chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank and later that year was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati, eventually vacating the seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. He was also elected seven times to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Baramati constituency, winning in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014.

Known for his strong connection with the people of Baramati, Pawar’s sudden death not only leaves a leadership void in the NCP but also raises questions about the party’s strategy in upcoming elections. As Maharashtra grapples with the shock, leaders and citizens alike are paying tribute to one of the state’s most influential political figures.