Ajit Pawar's final words before death in plane crash: Maharashtra Deputy CM's last post on X was just an hour ago and was a tribute

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and three other people were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district on Wednesday morning, PTI reported citing officials. The incident occurred when Pawar's plane was landing in Pune's Baramati area.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar was onboard the charter, ANI reported. Pawar was headed to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad Elections.

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Ajit Pawar's last social media post

In his last post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ajit Pawar paid a humble tribute to Lala Lajpat Rai. "On the occasion of his birth anniversary, humble salutations to the great freedom fighter, proclaimer of Swarajya, and 'Punjab Kesari' Lala Lajpat Rai ji, who dedicated his all for the nation's independence! His patriotism will forever continue to inspire us," the post read. Lala Lajpat Rai died of severe trauma injuries sustained in October 1928 during a baton charge by police in Lahore, when he led a peaceful protest march against the all-British Simon Commission.

Who is Ajit Pawar?

A seasoned politician, Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving deputy chief ministers of Maharashtra, earning him the moniker "forever Deputy CM" among detractors. Ajit Pawar’s political journey began in 1982 when he was elected to the board of a sugar cooperative. Over the years, he carved a niche for himself in Maharashtra’s political and cooperative landscape, holding portfolios such as irrigation, finance, and water resources. He became an MLA in 1991 and has represented Baramati ever since.


Catch live updates of Ajit Pawar plane crash here

In 2019, Ajit Pawar briefly split from the NCP to form a government with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis. Although the government lasted only three days, Pawar emerged politically stronger, later serving as Deputy Chief Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government before joining the Shinde-BJP alliance in 2023.

ALSO READ: Ajit Pawar dead after plane crash-lands in Baramati

He is married to Sunetra Pawar, with whom he has two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991 from the Baramati Parliamentary constituency and later vacated the seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly seven times from the Baramati Assembly constituency. He first won in a 1991 by-election and subsequently in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014.

In November 2019, he engineered a split in the NCP and joined a government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and became the Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission awarded the party name and symbol to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar.

(With agency inputs)