Baramati, Jan 29 (UNI) The mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were brought to his residence in Katewadi ahead of his last rites on Thursday.
The funeral will be held at Vidya Pratishthan Ground in Baramati at 11 am, with full state honours. The Maharashtra government has declared a three-day state mourning period until January 30, during which the national flag will fly at half-mast.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader lost his life in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday morning.
Supporters of Ajit Pawar gathered outside the Ahilyabai Holkar Government Medical College as his mortal remains were taken out, raising slogans and paying their final respects.
A heavy police presence was deployed as thousands of party workers and residents lined the roads leading to Katewadi and Vidya Pratishthan, reflecting the deep emotional connect Pawar shared with Baramati, his political stronghold. Many supporters were seen in tears, chanting “Dada, Dada,” as the cortege passed.
Union Minister of State Raksha Khadse, who is heading to Baramati to attend the funeral, described the tragedy as deeply painful. “The accident yesterday is heart-rending. Nobody had thought that something like that would happen. We were all sad to hear the news yesterday. I think Maharashtra will not have any other leader like Ajit Dada. He worked in the interiors. He was a good leader who played a big role in Maharashtra’s development,” she said.
Responding to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement on the incident, Khadse added, “I think making this an issue at this time is wrong for all parties. This was not in anyone’s hands. We are all in mourning.”
Mamata Banerjee has demanded a probe into the plane crash that killed NCP chief and the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, this morning. Pawar and six others, including the plane’s pilots and his security personnel, died as the small plane flying them from Mumbai crashed during a landing attempt in Baramati.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was killed when a chartered Learjet carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport on Wednesday morning. The crash also claimed the lives of his personal security officer, a cabin crew member, and two pilots. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft veered off the runway during its landing attempt and burst into flames. No distress signal was issued before the crash.
The late leader is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, his sons Parth and Jay Pawar, and his mother Ashatai Pawar. His body was kept at the Vidya Pratishthan Vidyanagari Chowk ground on Wednesday evening to enable the public to pay their last respects.
Several senior leaders cutting across party lines are expected to attend the funeral, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier visited Sunetra Pawar to offer their condolences, as tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, underscoring the significant void left by Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise in Maharashtra politics.
