Hours after the tragic demise of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the state government expressed deep grief over the loss of one of Maharashtra's most dedicated and grounded leaders. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced three days of state mourning to honour Pawar's contributions to the state and its people.
Recalling Ajit Pawar’s contributions, CM Fadnavis said, "He was a leader connected to the ground. The passing of Ajit Dada Pawar is deeply saddening. There is grief in his family and among all of us." He added that Pawar was his strong and generous friend. "This is a difficult day for the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have spoken to us regarding this accident," Fadnavis added.
'A leader expected to serve for years'
The Chief Minister also highlighted Pawar's decades-long contribution to Maharashtra's development. "Losing such a public leader is a huge loss... We worked together on many initiatives... We had hoped Ajit Pawar would serve for many more years... His departure at this has left us speechless," Fadnavis added. The CM further said that the grief faced by Ajit Pawar's family, party officials and supporters is immense. "We stand with them during this difficult time. Once the Pawar family reaches Baramati, we will meet them to discuss the next steps. Eknath Shinde and I will also visit Baramati."
Baramati Bandh today
The Baramati has also observed a badh on Wednesday as a mark of respect for Ajit Pawar. Citizens paid tribute to the leader who was deeply rooted in the soil of Baramati, serving the community till his last moments. Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a series of public rallies for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. He was scheduled to address four events during the day.
Baramati plane crash
The small charter aircraft, with Ajit Pawar on board, took off from Mumbai around 8 am and crashed near Baramati airport during a landing attempt 45 minutes later. Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
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