Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a towering NCP figure, perished in a plane crash, setting the stage for a majestic state funeral in his bastion Baramati on Thursday. Full honors will mark the end of an era.
Vidya Pratishthan Maidan hosts the leader’s remains for darshan, poised to welcome hordes of grieving supporters, activists, and citizens throughout the day.
The guest list boasts CM Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and possibly PM Narendra Modi alongside Amit Shah, blending state and central leadership in tribute.
Three days of official mourning see tricolors lowered across Maharashtra’s administrative hubs, capturing the collective anguish over Pawar’s sudden exit.
Authorities have logged an ADR, with AAIB probing the VSR Ventures Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) crash. Alongside Pawar traveled his PSO, a flight attendant, crew members PIC Sumit Kapoor and SIC Shambhavi Pathak, plus Vidit Jadhav and Pinki Mali.
The ministry outlines a rejected initial landing, followed by clearance at 8:43 AM on Runway 11. A red flag emerges from VSR’s September 14, 2023, Learjet incident at Mumbai, still pending inquiry.
Pawar’s legacy of development and shrewd politics endures. As Baramati mourns, this tragedy spotlights aviation vulnerabilities, urging policy shifts while honoring a visionary whose influence will reverberate long after the funeral flames.