In a shocking aviation mishap that has stunned Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the NCP strongman and architect of Baramati’s political empire, perished in a plane crash near Baramati airport early Wednesday morning. The Learjet 45XR, carrying Pawar, two pilots, a personal security officer, and an attendant, veered off the runway during a second landing attempt at 9:12 a.m., exploding on impact and claiming all six lives.
Pawar, 66, was en route from Mumbai to address four public rallies ahead of crucial Zilla Parishad polls, underscoring his relentless grassroots grip. Tributes poured in from across the spectrum: PM Narendra Modi called it an “irreparable loss,” while CM Devendra Fadnavis rushed to console the family, with Supriya Sule, Sunetra Pawar, and Parth Pawar heading to the site. Praful Patel, shell-shocked, urged a probe into the crash circumstances.
This void strikes at a pivotal juncture. Pawar’s death destabilizes the Mahayuti alliance—BJP, Shinde Sena, Ajit NCP—exposing NCP’s leadership vacuum and Baramati succession battles between kin. A mass leader who split NCP twice, joined BJP thrice, and served longest as Deputy CM, Pawar was the glue holding rural sugar belt loyalty.
Adding intrigue, whispers of reconciliation between Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray are gaining traction amid BMC poll frictions and KDMC realignments. Sources indicate backchannel talks to bury the 2022 hatchet, fueled by MNS’s local tie-ups with Shinde faction and Thackeray cousins’ overtures for “Marathi manoos” unity. Sanjay Raut hints Shinde once eyed Thackeray duo to counter BJP; now, post-Pawar flux, a Shiv Sena merger could reshape alliances before assembly polls.
Pawar’s exit isn’t mere tragedy—it’s a political earthquake. Will NCP implore? Does Shinde-Thackeray thaw bolster Mahayuti or fracture it? As black armbands adorn Mantralaya, Maharashtra’s chessboard resets. Investigations loom, but legacy endures: Pawar dominated like few, till fate clipped his wings.
