Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has died after the aircraft he was travelling in crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district on the morning of January 28, 2026, according to multiple official and credible news reports.
The plane, believed to be a chartered aircraft carrying Pawar and several others, was making an emergency landing at Baramati when it crashed on the runway. The aircraft reportedly broke apart and caught fire on impact, sending thick smoke into the air and prompting a major rescue operation by emergency services.
Initial confirmations from Press Trust of India (PTI) and other agencies state that Ajit Pawar himself succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. Reports also indicate that three other individuals onboard were killed in the accident.