Kochi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, 66, was among six persons killed when their chartered aircraft blew up during emergency landing at about 8.45 am at Baramati in Maharashtra on Wednesday.
Pawar and others were rushed to hospital, but they could not be saved.
The NCP chief was travelling to Baramati to address rallies.
He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2022 to 2023 and represented Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in 1991.
Born in Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar district, Pawar was the son of Ashatai Pawar and Anantrao Pawar, the brother of Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party and a four-time former Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
He is survived by wife Sunetra Pawar and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
Ajit made his first foray into politics in 1982 when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory.
He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly seven times from the Baramati. He first won in a 1991 by-election and subsequently retained it for five consecutive terms in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014.
He was Minister of State for Agriculture and Power from 1991 to 1992. He was Minister of State in 1992 in the Sharad Pawar government.
Air mishap kills Ajit Pawar
