New Delhi: Prominent Indian Politician Ajit Pawar, serving as the 8th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, died in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday morning near Baramati, according to official statements. Four others, including the pilots and Pawar’s security personnel, were also killed. The small aircraft, which took off from Mumbai around 8.10 am, crashed while attempting to land near Baramati airport about half an hour later, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

Visuals from the crash site showed fire and smoke, with emergency teams and ambulances rushing to the area. The DGCA confirmed that all five people on board died in the accident. Reports said Pawar was travelling to attend a series of public meetings ahead of local body polls scheduled for next month.

The 66-year-old leader was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Sharad Pawar and Sule, who were in Delhi for the Parliament’s budget session, are expected to travel to Pune. Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra and sons Parth and Jay. He served as Deputy Chief Minister under four Chief Ministers—Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis-and played a key role in Maharashtra politics for decades.

Political leaders across parties expressed shock and grief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the death “shocking and saddening,” praising Pawar’s grassroots connect and administrative acumen. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he was “deeply pained” and left for Pune, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also conveyed condolences, describing the loss as untimely and deeply distressing. Authorities said further details into the cause of the crash are awaited.