Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s last rites were performed with full state honors at the Vidya Pratisthan ground in Baramati, where his sons lit the pyre and completed the last rites.
Several prominent leaders and dignitaries, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and actor Riteish Deshmukh, attended the funeral and paid their last respects.
A large number of people also gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan grounds to bid farewell to the Nationalist Congress Party leader, which reflects the widespread public mourning on his demise.
Earlier in the day on Thursday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was given a final farewell with full state honors when his body was taken to the Vidya Pratisthan grounds for the last rites.
Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar and his sons Party and Jai were also present on the occasion. Senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde arrived with his daughter Praniti Shinde to attend the funeral to be held at Vidya Pratisthan grounds.
When Ajit Pawar’s mortal remains were brought to the ground, his supporters raised slogans of “Long live Ajit Dada”. His son Jai Pawar, nephew Rohit Pawar and other family members were also present.
This morning, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials and forensic teams reached the crash site in Baramati to investigate the plane crash that claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five others. The plane had crashed in Baramati on Wednesday morning. NDRF personnel and DGCA officials are present here.
NDRF personnel and Maharashtra DGP were also present at the spot for investigation. Pune Rural Police has registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) at Baramati Taluka Police Station regarding this accident and have started further investigation.
“Pune Rural Police has filed an Accidental Death Report (ADR) at Baramati Taluka Police Station in connection with the plane crash that took the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Further investigation has been initiated,” a Pune Police official said.
Union Minister Raksha Khadse described this incident as heartbreaking and said that Maharashtra will not get another leader like Ajit Pawar.
Raksha Khadse told reporters, “Yesterday’s accident is heart-wrenching. No one had ever thought that something like this would happen. We all were very sad to hear the news yesterday. I think Maharashtra will never get a leader like Ajit Dada again. He worked in the interior areas. He was a good leader who played a big role in the development of Maharashtra.”
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray reached Baramati to attend the funeral of Ajit Pawar.
Preparations for the last rites of the Nationalist Congress leader who lost his life in the plane crash on January 28 are going on at the Vidya Pratisthan ground in Baramati.
Supporters of NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Ahilyabai Holkar, gathered outside the Government Medical College to pay their last respects to his body as it was taken out from there.
The funeral procession of Maharashtra’s longest serving (not consecutive) Deputy Chief Minister will start from the Vidya Pratisthan complex (Gadima), pass through the city for people to pay tribute to Pawar and end at the Vidya Pratisthan grounds for the last rites scheduled at 11 am.
Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati airport on Wednesday. He left behind a long career in politics full of ups and downs. He was going to Baramati to participate in a public meeting for the Zilla Parishad elections.
It is noteworthy that Ajit Pawar was born on 22 July 1959 in Devlali Pravara of Rahuri taluka of Ahmednagar district. He was popularly known as “Ajit Dada” because of his tireless efforts for the people of Maharashtra and his ability to stay connected to the people and the soil.
Apart from making significant contributions to government administration, Pawar also supervised the management of various cooperative organizations including milk unions and associations and sugar factories.
Ajit Dada’s leadership journey started with institutions like milk unions, cooperative societies, sugar factories and banks and moved in a new direction with his election to the Lok Sabha in 1991.
Later he vacated the Baramati seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. Since then he has served as MLA, Minister of State for various important government departments and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, among other positions.
Ajit Pawar has been the longest serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and this tenure was not continuous. He held the post of Deputy Chief Minister six times in different governments. He served as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
In November 2019, he split the NCP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and became the Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission granted the party name and symbol to the Ajit Pawar-led faction.
Despite this, Ajit Pawar was considered very close to his uncle Sharad Pawar, under whose guidance he started his political career. In the recently held Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, two rival factions of the NCP formed an alliance and presented a joint development agenda for Pune.
Ajit Pawar was known for his frankness and outspokenness. He is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and two sons Jai and Parth Pawar.
