Ajit Pawar was the victim of a deadly plane crash on his way to Baramati. He had posted his last message on X just minutes before the tragedy.
The state of Maharashtra is trying to come to terms with the tragic demise of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, 66, who died in a fatal plane crash en route to Baramati. The veteran politician, who was on his way to address a public meeting regarding the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections, crashed along with four others on board while attempting to land at Pune's Baramati airstrip. As it turns out, he had posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle just minutes before the tragedy.
On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, a chartered plane carrying Ajit Pawar crashed-landed on the Baramati airstrip and killed the politician along with everyone else on board. Amid the devastating news, the internet has stumbled across what is believed to be Pawar's final message on X.
The post, time-stamped 8:57 a.m., was a tribute to ifreedom fighter Lala Rajput Rai on his birth anniversary. In his message, Ajit Pawar remembered the revered 'Punjab Kesari', saluting his sacrifice and celebrating his enduring legacy, Swaraj and India's freedom movement. The now-deleted post, translated to English, reads:
“On this, his birth anniversary, humble salutations to the great freedom fighter, proclaimer of Swaraj, and ‘Punjab Kesari’ Lala Lajpat Rai Ji, who dedicated his all to the nation’s independence! His patriotism shall forever continue to inspire us."
The timing of the post has struck a deep chord online, with netizens pointing out the tragic uncertainty of life. The tweet was posted minutes before the news of Ajit Pawar's death surfaced, and now, people are using it as a pilgrimage to pay their respects to the fallen leader. Many users noted how the message reflected Pawar’s lifelong engagement with public service and national history, right up to the last few minutes of his life.
On January 28, 2026, Ajit Pawar was travelling in a VSR-operated Bombardier Learjet 45 (VTSSK). The crash reportedly occurred around 8:45 a.m. IST at the Baramati Airport runway threshold while the aircraft was attempting to land. Initial reports from the DGCA confirmed that everyone on board perished in the deadly crash. According to the Directorate's statement:
“Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM of Maharashtra, was onboard along with 2 more personnel (1 PSO and 1 attendant) and 2 crew (PIC+FO) members in the charter plane. As per initial information, no person on board has survived the crash.”
Eyewitnesses present at the Baramati airport have come forward to share their accounts of the harrowing scenes in the moments after the aircraft crashed and exploded. One eyewitness said the aircraft hit the ground and immediately erupted into flames, followed by multiple explosions. They recalled:
“I saw it with my eyes. This is really painful. When the aircraft descended, it seemed it would crash, and it did crash. It then exploded. There was a massive explosion."
Another person at the scene described a "massive fire" and said no one could help, despite rushing towards the wreckage. The witness said, "We rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire. There were four to five explosions in the aircraft again. More people came here, and they tried to pull the people out. But since this was a huge fire, people could not help."
As the news of the fatal crash surfaced, condolences have come in from across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Pawar as “a leader of the people with a strong grassroots connect,” praising his administrative acumen and commitment to public service.
The exact cause of the plane crash is yet to be determined.
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