Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has died in a tragic plane crash at Baramati airport on Tuesday morning. The 66-year-old politician was among five people killed when a chartered Learjet 45 went down shortly after 8:45 a.m.

The aircraft, registered VT-SSK, had taken off from Mumbai around 8:10 a.m. and was en route to Baramati, where Pawar was scheduled to attend political engagements ahead of upcoming local government elections. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

The incident has sent shockwaves through Maharashtra’s political circles, with leaders from across parties expressing condolences and mourning the sudden loss of the veteran NCP leader.