Pankaja Munde's helicopter develops technical snag in Maharashtra's Sambhajinagar
Pankaja Munde was scheduled to fly from Sambhajinagar to Latur by helicopter to campaign for the Zilla Parishad elections. However, the pilot reported a technical problem, prompting her to postpone her trip.
Days after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash, other Maharashtra politicians are also exercising caution when traveling by air. The latest incident involves BJP leader and Cabinet Minister Pankaja Munde as her helicopter faced a technical problem, prompting her to postpone her helicopter trip.
Where was Pankaja planning to go?
Pankaja Munde was scheduled to fly from Sambhajinagar to Latur by helicopter to campaign for the Zilla Parishad elections. However, the pilot reported a technical problem, prompting her to postpone her trip. It's worth noting that after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash, all politicians are exercising caution when traveling by air.
The malfunction was detected just before takeoff from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Pankaja Munde was scheduled to travel to Latur for campaigning in the Zilla Parishad elections. Pankaja Munde will attend the meeting using another helicopter.
Ajit Pawar died recently in a plane crash in Baramati
It should be noted that NCP leader Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati. Since then, all politicians have been taking caution before flying.
Ajit Pawar was the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and had left Mumbai early in the morning to address a rally in Baramati. Following Ajit Pawar's death, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, has been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Before Ajit Pawar, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also died in an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in 2025. The accident was reported on June 12, 2025, shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The Air India Flight 171 was completely destroyed in the accident.
Prior to this, India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, died in a Mi-17V5 helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, in 2021. It is worth noting that the chances of survival for those on board a plane crash are very slim.
Sunetra Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM
Sunetra Pawar last week became the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and was allotted excise, sports, minority development and Aukaf departments, but not finance and planning which her late husband Ajit Pawar held.
The brief swearing-in ceremony at the Lok Bhavan here took place three days after Ajit Pawar, NCP president and a deputy chief minister in the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP 'Mahayuti' government, died in an air crash in Baramati on January 28.
Finance and planning department was not allocated to her, indicating that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will hold the charge of the crucial portfolio and present the Budget next month.
Sunetra Pawar, 62, has resigned her Rajya Sabha membership. She is not a member of either house of the state legislature at present, and is expected to contest the byelection to the Baramati assembly constituency represented by her late husband.