‘Great loss for the country…’: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Ajit Pawar plane crash

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash.

Published on: Jan 29, 2026, 12:23:12 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday condoled the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in the Baramati Plane Crash along with four others. He said that his death has been an irreparable loss to the country.

Reflecting on Pawar's impactful political career, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar urged greater caution in air travel. (PTI)

Speaking to the reporters, the Chief Minister expressed solidarity with Pawar's family members.

"It's very sad news. Ajit Pawar was a senior legislator who served as a minister and Deputy Chief Minister. I had visited Baramati once, when Supriya Sule was the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament. During that time, Ajit Pawar was very popular in the constituency and had won from Baramati multiple times. His death is a great loss for the country. He was with Sharad Pawar in NCP. And later, they had some differences, and he joined the BJP. Then later they become good. I pray that his family get the strength and may his soul rest in peace," CM Siddaramaiah stated.

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Earlier today, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed shock over the death of Ajit Pawar and called it a "huge loss", urging politicians to exercise greater caution while travelling, especially abroad.

Remembering Ajit Pawar as a progressive leader, the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister said that Pawar had earned the confidence of many leaders across party lines in Maharashtra.

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"Ajit Pawar is a leader with very progressive ideas. The Maharashtra Chief Minister had said just the other day that he is cooperating in all works. May his soul rest in peace. May the Lord give his family and supporters the strength to bear the grief," Shivakumar said.

Ajit Pawardied this morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board the chartered plane. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.

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The crash occurred around 8.48 am, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau have dispatched probe teams to the site of the mishap to investigate.

Pawar was on his way to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.

The Maharashtra government has announced three days of state mourning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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