India’s political landscape was shaken on Wednesday after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed in a charter aircraft crash, along with four others on board, according to the aviation regulator.
According to a report by Reuters, the aircraft went down in flames, killing Pawar, two of his staff members and two crew, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Pawar, who belonged to one of Maharashtra’s most prominent political families, was travelling to his home region to campaign in local body elections, media reports said.
“No person on board has survived,” the DGCA said in an initial statement, Reuters has quoted.
Pawar was a key ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in the Maharashtra government and led a faction that split from the opposition Nationalist Congress Party in 2023.
Visuals from the crash site showed thick plumes of smoke rising from burning debris, with wreckage scattered across an open field, as reported by Reuters.
According to media reports, the aircraft had departed from Mumbai and attempted an emergency landing in Baramati, about 250 km (155 miles) away. Baramati is considered Pawar’s political stronghold, where he was scheduled to canvass for the upcoming local elections.
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