Baramati Plane Crash: Aircraft Had Previously Carried Top BJP Leaders to Bihar Elections

Pune, January 29, 2026: A tragic plane crash in Baramati claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. The ill-fated aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by VSR Ventures, had previously transported prominent leaders during the Bihar assembly elections, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

According to sources at Patna airport, the plane was scheduled to fly again to Patna on the day of the crash. A businessman, Mahesh Kumar Reddy, was supposed to travel from Shamshabad Airport in Andhra Pradesh to Patna on the same aircraft, with a landing time set for 10:30 AM and a return flight at 9:30 PM. Following news of the Baramati accident, Reddy opted for an alternative chartered flight to reach Patna.

The Learjet 45 is owned and operated by VSR Ventures, headed by Captain VK Singh from Muzaffarpur. Reports indicate that this aircraft has been involved in two incidents in the last two and a half years. Captain Singh, however, assured that the plane was fully airworthy and dismissed any possibility of technical malfunction. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal investigation into the crash.

This unfortunate incident has not only raised concerns about aviation safety but also highlighted the extensive use of private charter flights by political leaders during election campaigns.