Leaders across party lines, grieving family members, and thousands of supporters gather as Maharashtra mourns the sudden loss of its Deputy Chief Minister in a tragic plane crash
Pune: Baramati witnessed an outpouring of grief on Thursday as the mortal remains of Nationalist Congress Party chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were brought to the Vidya Pratishthan ground for his last rites. The ceremony, conducted with full state honours, reflected the stature of a leader whose sudden demise has left a deep void in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
A visibly devastated Sunetra Pawar, his wife, bid her last farewell to her husband at the funeral pyre, struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband. Their sons, Jay Pawar and Parth Pawar, performed the last rites. They stood by their mother and supported her through the emotionally charged moments. Other family members followed, paying their final respects amid chants and solemn silence.
Senior leaders from across the political spectrum attended the funeral, underscoring Ajit Pawar’s influence beyond party lines. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant laid wreaths at the pyre. The Maharashtra Cabinet and several NCP leaders were also present.
The tragedy extended beyond political loss. The last rites of Vidip Jadhav, Ajit Pawar’s Personal Security Officer, who also lost his life in the crash, were performed earlier at his native village in Satara, adding to the collective mourning. Ajit Pawar’s death, following a tragic plane crash in Pune district while en route to Baramati for election meetings, is being described as a seismic blow to Maharashtra politics, ending a career marked by administrative authority, mass appeal, and decisive leadership.
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