Who was Ajit Pawar, the Indian politician killed in plane crash?

Al JazeeraCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 28, 2026 at 12:25 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, India, died in a plane crash on Wednesday along with four others. The private plane crashed en route from Mumbai to his home city of Baramati, about 254km from the state capital. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Pawar, 66, was a prominent political figure in Maharashtra, India's wealthiest state, and a key ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. He began his political career with the Indian National Congress and later joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), serving multiple terms as deputy chief minister. In 2023, he led a faction that split from the NCP to align with the BJP-led coalition, and in 2024, his faction was recognized as the official NCP.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Election Commission of India 30% Devendra Fadnavis 30% Indian National Congress 40% Sharad Pawar 40% Mumbai 50% Baramati ×250% Narendra Modi 60% Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ×360% Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ×570% India ×480% Maharashtra ×690% Ajit Pawar ×6100%

Keywords

ajit pawar 100% plane crash 90% indian politician 80% maharashtra 80% deputy chief minister 70% nationalist congress party 60% political figure 50% bjp 50% india 40%