Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday described the tragic death of his deputy and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar as shocking and said he lost a "strong and large-hearted friend."
Ajit Pawar, and four others, including his personal security staff and the pilots of the aircraft, were killed as the plane carrying them crashed during landing at the Baramati airport earlier on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis expressed shock and grief over the demise of his cabinet colleague.
"It is an irreparable loss which cannot be described in words. Personally, I have lost a strong and large-hearted friend. In Ajit Pawar, I had a colleague who made an immense contribution to development politics," he said.
Stressing that Pawar was a politician who knew every nook and corner of the state, the Maharashtra CM said, "He was very well versed with the state’s problems. He was a good administrator with vast experience and knowledge."
"He was someone who could take on challenges in every circumstance without wavering. It takes several years to evolve into such leadership. He was deeply connected to the masses," he added.
Fadnavis said all of Maharashtra, especially the NCP, is in grief over Pawar's sudden demise.
"At these difficult times, we stand by them," he said, adding that he will travel to Baramati along with Deputy CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde.
The Maharashtra CM also informed that he had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the news of Ajit Pawar’s death and that "they expressed shock and grief."
66-year-old Ajit Pawar was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and a cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. He was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state.
The Maharashtra government has declared a three-day state mourning till January 30, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period.