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Ajit Pawar’s last rites to be held at 11 am today; PM Modi, Amit Shah to attend
The last rites are scheduled to take place at 11 am at the Vidya Pratishthan Ground.
The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be conducted today, with his body being carried in a decorated rath for the "Antim Yatra".
The chariot will be adorned with flowers and will carry Pawar’s portrait, along with a board reading “Swargiya Ajitdada Pawar amar rahein” (Long live Ajit Dada Pawar), reported news agency ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the last rites of Ajit Pawar on Thursday.
Track updates on Ajit Pawar's funeral here
The funeral procession will begin at 9 am from the Vidya Pratishthan campus (Gadima). It will pass through the city, allowing citizens and party workers to pay their last respects. The last rites are scheduled to take place at 11 am at the Vidya Pratishthan Ground.
Also read| A narrow escape a year and a half ago, Ajit Pawar had spoken of surviving bad-weather flight scare
Supporters gather to pay last respects
Several hours before the procession, large crowds assembled outside Ahilyabai Holkar Hospital in Baramati, where Pawar’s mortal remains were kept before being moved to his residence. Party workers and supporters were seen mourning the loss of the senior leader.
A visibly emotional party worker, Chandrashekar Patil, remembered Pawar’s dedication and daily routine. "Who will we go to now?....the elder person of this family has left, who will guide us now? Everyone has been mourning his death since morning. It's extremely unfortunate....He used to wake up at 5 AM, listen to people's grievances and continue with his working schedule," Patil said, breaking down in tears.
Also read| Baramati mourns the leader who shaped the town
Plane crash victims’ postmortems completed
The postmortem examinations of pilot Captain Sumit Kapoor, co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, and flight attendant Pinky Mali have been completed. All three lost their lives in the Baramati plane crash.
The examinations were conducted at Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Government Medical College in Baramati. After the procedures, the bodies were handed over to their respective families.
Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar passed away on Wednesday after the aircraft he was travelling in crashed. He was on his way to attend a public rally in Baramati linked to the Zilla Parishad elections.
His sudden death has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra’s political circles, marking the end of a long and influential political career.
Ajit Pawar was born on 22 July 1959 in Deolali Pravara, located in Rahuri taluka of Ahmednagar district. He was popularly known as “Ajit Dada” for his grassroots connect and relentless efforts for the people of Maharashtra.
Before entering mainstream politics, Pawar played a key role in managing cooperative institutions such as milk unions, sugar factories and federations. His leadership journey began at the grassroots level and expanded steadily.
(With inputs from ANI)
