Deputy Chief Minister of India’s wealthiest state killed in plane crash
BARAMATI, India — Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed Sunday morning when their private plane crashed and burst into flames during landing, aviation authorities confirmed. There were no survivors.
The crash occurred as Pawar was traveling to his home region to campaign for local elections. Two staff members and two crew members were also on board the Learjet 45, which was operated by VSR Ventures.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The director of VSR Ventures stated the aircraft was “100% safe” and that the crew was highly experienced.
Witnesses reported the plane was already on fire before it crashed into a field and exploded several times, thwarting rescue efforts. Video footage from the scene showed thick black smoke rising from the burning wreckage.
Pawar was a prominent political figure who led a 2023 breakaway faction of the opposition Nationalist Congress Party to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
In a post on the social media platform X, Modi described Pawar’s death as “shocking and saddening.”
Saigon Sentinel Analysis
The sudden passing of Ajit Pawar has triggered a seismic shift in the political landscape of Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest and most industrially significant state. As a kingmaker within the ruling coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pawar was not merely a regional heavyweight but a central pillar of the state’s current power structure.
His death creates an immediate leadership vacuum within the faction he led—a group that famously broke away from the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to align with the BJP. This strategic realignment was a masterstroke for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, providing it with the necessary leverage to dominate state-level governance. With his exit, the stability of this governing alliance is now under intense scrutiny. Without Pawar’s authoritative command, his faction faces the risk of internal fragmentation, a development that could destabilize the Maharashtra government.
The timing of the tragedy is particularly critical, occurring in the midst of campaigning for local elections. His absence is expected to disrupt the electoral calculus and alter the competitive dynamics in the Pawar family's traditional strongholds. In the broader context, this event raises urgent questions about the future of the Pawar political dynasty and the fragile balance of power in a state that remains indispensable to India’s national political and economic stability.