Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took to his official account to declare a state holiday and a three-day mourning period following the demise of NCP chief Ajit Pawar. “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has cancelled all his programmes, and both he and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are departing for Baramati shortly,” Fadnavis wrote.
He also expressed his deep shock while addressing the media at his official residence, reacting to Pawar’s untimely death in the Baramati plane crash
Following the shocking plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, on January 28, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly held a telephonic conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. According to Maharashtra government officials, they were briefed about the accident and the latest developments in the situation.
The aircraft was carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with two crew members and four others. A senior DGCA official confirmed that, so far, there have been no survivors from the plane crash. PM Modi shared his condolences on his official X account, referring to Pawar as a “people’s leader.”
“He was widely respected as a hardworking personality who always remained at the forefront in the service of the people of Maharashtra,” PM Modi wrote. He further praised the Maharashtra Deputy CM’s administrative knowledge and his “passion for the empowerment of the poor and the deprived.”
Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his condolences to the Pawar family and wrote, “In this hour of grief, the entire NDA stands firmly with the bereaved Pawar family. May God grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet.”
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five others reportedly died in a plane crash near Baramati, Maharashtra, on January 28, 2026. The accident occurred while the aircraft was attempting to land. The death of all six passengers on board was confirmed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The shocking incident occurred around 9 a.m., shortly after the plane took off from Mumbai, Maharashtra. According to an IANS report, Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a public meeting amid the ongoing elections to the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis.
Emergency services and senior security officials reached the crash site in Baramati soon after the incident. Rescue teams were deployed immediately after the aircraft reportedly lost control during the landing phase.
More details are awaited regarding the plane crash. Reports said that local residents rushed to the spot after witnessing the aircraft crash.
Inputs from IANS
[VS]
