Political Shockwaves As Ajit Pawar Dies In Plane Crash

MUMBAI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 28 spoke to senior Maharashtra leader Sharad Pawar following the death of his nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a tragic plane crash near Baramati and expressed his condolences to the family. Ajit Pawar’s funeral will be held in Baramati on January 29. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the last rites.

The news of Ajit Pawar’s death sent shockwaves across Maharashtra’s political landscape, with several senior leaders describing it as a “black day” for the state.

Meanwhile, chilling details of the final moments before the crash have emerged. The crew of the Learjet 45 reportedly told air traffic personnel that the “runway is currently not in sight” seconds before the aircraft was cleared to land and subsequently burst into flames near the runway threshold.

Ajit Pawar and four others onboard, including two pilots, were killed in the fatal crash while attempting to land at the Baramati airfield. Pawar was scheduled to attend public programs in Baramati later on the same day.

According to a release issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd-operated aircraft first contacted Baramati airfield at 8.18 am.

Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield where traffic information is provided by instructors and pilots from local flying training organisations, the ministry said.

“At about 30 nautical miles from Baramati, the aircraft was released by Pune approach control and advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions at the crew’s discretion,” the release stated.

The pilots later sought wind and visibility details and were informed that the winds were calm and the visibility was approximately 3,000 metres.

Moments later, the aircraft reported being on final approach to Runway 11 but indicated that the runway was not visible. The crew initiated a go-around and repositioned for another approach.

During the second attempt, the crew again reported being on final approach. When asked to confirm visual contact, they responded, “Runway is currently not in sight, will call when runway is in sight.” A few seconds later, they reported that the runway was visible.

At 8.43 am, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 11. However, no readback of the landing clearance was received, the release said.

At 8.44 am, personnel at the airfield noticed flames near the threshold of the runway. Emergency services rushed to the spot, where the wreckage was found on the left side of Runway 11, close to the threshold.

The untimely death of Pawar has left a void in the state’s politics and raised questions about the future course of action. Issues such as party leadership, the NCP’s position in the government, and the potential merger between the Ajit faction and the NCP headed by his uncle and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar are being debated.

It is unlikely that Sharad Pawar will become a member of the Rajya Sabha again after his retirement in April. Furthermore, Sharad Pawar has avoided a direct alliance with the BJP so far.

In the 80s, his Socialist Congress was part of the Progressive Democratic Front which included the BJP, but many workers with progressive thoughts stayed with Pawar due to his anti-BJP stance.

During the recently concluded municipal corporation elections, both NCP factions contested together in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad and continued their alliance in the ongoing Pune Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.

However, Ajit Pawar’s death has put both factions in a fix over whether to continue the poll-related alliance or go ahead with a merger ahead of the state Assembly elections slated for 2029. In case a merger happens, there are also questions about whether Supriya Sule would be given some responsibility at the Centre.

The next few months will be crucial in finding answers to these questions and in determining who will lead the party in the state after Ajit Dada. The BJP’s role in this will be decisive.

Ajit Pawar faced criticism for joining hands with the BJP. It was an ideological struggle. However, many who went with him believed that staying in power helps get the work of the constituency and the workers done. The formula that emerged was that a practical approach is more important than ideology.

He suffered a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where Sunil Tatkare was his only winning MP. Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Tai, lost to Supriya Sule in Baramati, which was a shock in the Pawar family’s political conflict. He compensated in the Assembly elections by winning the third-highest number of seats in the state.

Realizing that conflict with the BJP was not beneficial, he maintained cordial relations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP’s central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. However, he reiterated that despite being a ruling partner in the Mahayuti government, he would not compromise on his secular credentials and on the thoughts of Shivaji, Phule, Ambedkar and Shahu. Consequently, his image remained largely unaffected.

By winning with a record margin in Baramati during the Assembly elections, he proved his grip on the constituency.

The performance of the Sharad Pawar faction was poor in the Assembly elections, and the Mahayuti won a massive majority, reducing the intensity of the opposition. Subsequently, to challenge the BJP in the municipal council and corporation elections, both factions of the NCP formed alliances in many places. This led to talks about a merger.

Now, after Ajit Pawar’s untimely demise, the issues of merger and leadership have come to the fore.

Before the split in the NCP in July 2023, Ajit Pawar handled responsibilities in the state while Supriya Sule managed politics at the Centre. After he formed his separate front, Sharad Pawar’s grandson, Rohit Pawar, became more active in state politics, though his experience remains relatively limited.

Significantly, Ajit Pawar’s name remained at the center of state politics for nearly four decades. He began his political career in 1982 as a director in a cooperative sugar factory and served as Deputy Chief Minister of the state six times. Ajit Pawar’s working style was straightforward: if a task could be done, he would say ‘yes’ and finish the worker’s job on the spot; otherwise, he would say ‘no’ clearly. Meeting officials and workers from 6:00 AM was part of his routine.

He became the Chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank in 1991 and held the post for 16 years. In the same year, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati, the Pawar family stronghold. The very next year, he got an opportunity in the state Cabinet. He was later elected to the Legislative Assembly from Baramati seven times with increasing margins.

Due to his constant presence among workers and his quick-witted nature, his popularity remained intact in state politics, especially in rural areas. Despite building a massive organization, his supporters still feel the sting of him missing out on the Chief Minister’s post.

Ajit Pawar worked alongside his uncle Sharad Pawar for years. However, on November 23, 2019, he rebelled and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, though this was short-lived and he returned soon after. Later, on July 2, 2023, Ajit Pawar again left the party to join the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government. Since the majority of MLAs were with him, a vertical split occurred in the NCP, and he took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. (IANS)