Baramati, January 29: Maharashtra on Thursday bade a solemn and emotional farewell to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, as chants of “Ajit Dada Amar Rahe” echoed across Baramati during his last rites, held with full state honours.
The 66-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, fondly known as ‘Dada’ in his political bastion Baramati, was cremated at the Vidya Pratishthan college ground, founded by the Pawar family, a day after he and four others were killed in a tragic chartered aircraft crash.
Final Rites Amid Emotional Scenes
As thousands gathered to pay their last respects, Ajit Pawar’s sons, Parth and Jay, lit the funeral pyre in the presence of senior national and state leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s uncle and political mentor, sat silently, witnessing the final moments of a towering legacy he had helped shape.
The mortal remains, draped in the national flag, were brought from Pawar’s native village Katewadi to the Vidya Pratishthan ground, about 100 km from Pune, amid emotional slogans raised by grieving supporters.
Political Leaders, Family Pay Tribute
Ajit Pawar’s cousin Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP from Baramati, stood beside Sunetra Pawar, his wife and Rajya Sabha member, offering support as she paid tribute to her late husband.
Several senior leaders attended the funeral, including NCP working president Praful Patel, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Ramdas Athawale, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde, and Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, senior leader Manikrao Thakare, and actor Riteish Deshmukh also paid homage.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray visited Pawar’s residence in Katewadi to offer floral tributes.
A Discipline-Driven Leader Remembered
Announcements over loudspeakers urged mourners to maintain silence and discipline, calling it the highest tribute to Ajit Pawar, who was widely known for his strict administrative discipline and commanding political presence.
The Tragic Plane Crash
Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when the Learjet aircraft they were travelling in crashed barely 200 metres from the tabletop airstrip on Wednesday.
The other victims were:
- Captain Sumit Kapoor, with over 15,000 flying hours
- Co-pilot Capt Shambhavi Pathak, with 1,500 flying hours
- Personal Security Officer Vidip Jadhav
- Flight attendant Pinky Mali
The mortal remains of all victims have been handed over to their families.
Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in connection with the crash.
Crash Probe Underway
The Maharashtra government released a detailed statement on Wednesday outlining the sequence of events. According to officials, the aircraft had performed a go-around due to poor visibility and was later cleared for landing. However, after receiving clearance, the aircraft failed to provide a read-back to Air Traffic Control (ATC) and moments later burst into flames near the edge of the airstrip.
The Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday confirmed that the aircraft’s black box, including the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), has been recovered, and investigations are underway.
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