Maharashtra's deputy CM Eknath Shinde called the passing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar was a black day for the state. Pawar and four other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district on January 28.
Pawar was on his way to Baramati from Mumbai to campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state. The aircraft reportedly crashed while attempting to land near Baramati in Pune district earlier in the morning. According to Flight Radar, the flight took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and it disappeared from radar around 8.45 am.