Union Home Minister Amit Shah has shared an emotional post on X expressing grief over the demise of Ajit Pawar. He said, ‘Today I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and our senior NDA colleague Ajit Pawar ji in a tragic accident.’
Ajit Pawar dedicated himself to Maharashtra
Amit Shah said, ‘The way Ajit Pawar dedicated himself to the welfare of every section of Maharashtra in the last three and a half decades cannot be expressed in words. Whenever they met, they used to discuss at length on various topics related to the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. His demise is a personal loss for the NDA family as well as for me.
Amit Shah further said, ‘I express my deep condolences to the Pawar family. In this hour of mourning, the entire NDA stands strongly with the bereaved Pawar family. May God give place to the departed soul at his feet.
Today I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and our senior NDA colleague Ajit Pawar ji in a tragic accident.
The way Ajit Pawar ji dedicated himself to the welfare of every section of Maharashtra in the last three and a half decades cannot be expressed in words…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 28, 2026
Orders issued to investigate plane crash
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the demise of his fellow Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as sad and unfortunate. He said that the plane crash in which he lost his life will be investigated.
All 5 people died in plane crash
On the morning of 28 January 2026, Ajit Pawar was going to Baramati. His chartered plane (Learjet 45) crashed during landing in Baramati area of Pune district. There were a total of 5 people on board the plane, which included Ajit Pawar, two staff members, two pilots and one crew member. In the accident, the plane went off the runway and caught fire. All 5 people died in this accident.
Ajit Pawar was also the Finance and Planning Minister in the current government. The budget for 2026-27 was to be presented when the budget session of the state legislature begins in Mumbai on 23 February next month.
