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Ajit Pawar’s plane crash: ‘It’s over, what is left… Baramati has been orphaned’

Every hour that went by, the crowds swelled, the barricades were tested, and police resorted to appeals on loudspeakers, imploring for patience with lines like, “Dada would not have liked this indiscipline.”

5 min readBaramatiUpdated: Jan 29, 2026 04:06 PM IST

Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar in Baramati. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

At least an hour before Baramati, the air started to feel heavy.

It was 2 pm. The usually bustling Pune-Solapur highway, lined with shops and eateries, was desolate. And silent. At Urulikanchan, however, a massive black-and-white billboard bearing the photograph of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar spoke volumes — about the devastating crash that stunned the nation on Wednesday morning and plunged Baramati, land of the Pawars, into deep gloom.

As you turned off the highway towards Baramati, and passed nearly 35 km of wide, freshly painted roads, rarely seen even in major cities and divided by rows of pink bougainvillea, you reached what was virtually a ghost town.

Read | With Ajit Pawar’s death, Mahayuti loses a source of stability. What next for BJP?

The toll gate was open but unmanned. Every establishment was shut, the roads were empty and every vehicle seemed to be going in one direction: the Vidya Pratishthan college grounds, to pay their last respects to the mortal remains of Ajit Pawar.

At the site in Baramati where the Learjet 45 crashed, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

The entire town had moved there, in hundreds of thousands, to bid farewell to “Ajit dada”, the brother, the leader, the upstart, the rebel, the son of the soil.

The sprawling grounds seemed too small. In the middle, large cement blocks were arranged by JCB machines to prepare a funeral platform for Thursday. Ahead, on the stage, two white awnings awaited a large portrait of the leader, as flowers and garlands started to arrive.

Amidst tears that flowed, former Pimpri Chinchwad mayor Mangala Kadam said, “It’s over, it’s finished, what is left? He was my leader, my mentor. I worked with him from 1992 until now. But now, nothing is left for Maharashtra.”

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Ajit Pawar with his PSO Vidip Jadhav on the flight

Nileema Gujar, the secretary of Vidya Pratishthan, recalled her last meeting with Ajit Pawar in December during the visit of industrialist Gautam Adani to inaugurate an Artificial Intelligence laboratory at the college. “He was someone who led from the front,” she said.

Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of Maharashtra State Womens’ Commission, stood silent, like a rock, as the crowd waited for the casket. Others on stage broke down, most too distraught to even talk.

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Amit Dhalpe, a bank employee, said, “Baramati has been orphaned… We used to go around Maharashtra with pride saying we are Baramatikars, that is all finished now. Initially, we thought Dada must have been injured and went to the hospital, where we learnt the truth… we have not even had any food since morning.”

Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Dy CM, killed in plane crash

Every hour that went by, the crowds swelled, the barricades were tested, and police resorted to appeals on loudspeakers, imploring for patience with lines like, “Dada would not have liked this indiscipline.” Pawar’s son Parth, anguish writ large on his face, oversaw the arrangements and accepted condolences from everyone on the stage.

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NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, NCP Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar and others arrive at Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Government Medical College, where the mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who lost his life in a charter plane crash landing, are kept, in Baramati on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

By dusk, other members of the Pawar family started to walk in. Cousin Supriya Sule led Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, who walked with folded hands, onto the stage, now full with VIPs. Outside, a band struck up a solemn note. Flashlights came on. A few kilometres away, a hearse carrying Ajit Pawar’s body made its way from the hospital through the well-lit streets of Baramati, to be placed at the college grounds until 9.30 pm. The air echoed with cries of “Ajit Pawar amar rahein”.

Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Dy CM, killed in plane crash

It was well past 7.30 pm when the mortal remains were placed on stage. NCP workers lined up to pay their respects. Many of them had images of the party symbol, the clock, on their shirts. And yet, time stood still at Baramati.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More

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