From Sanjay Gandhi to Ajit Pawar: A look at political leaders who died in a plane crash

A Learjet 45 aircraft crashed at Baramati airport on Wednesday, killing all five occupants including Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday after his plane crashed and exploded before landing at Pune's Baramati airport. The aircraft burst into flames, killing all five people on board, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar joined the list of Indian politicians and influential figures who lost their lives to aviation accidents over the past years. (ANI Video Grab)

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In light of Ajit Pawar's tragic passing in a plane crash, here's a look at Indian politicians and influential figures who lost their lives to aviation accidents over the past years.

• Sanjay Gandhi - Congress leader and son of then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, lost his life in a tragic plane crash on June 23, 1980, at Delhi Flying Club aircraft near Safdarjung Airport.
• Madhavrao Scindia - Former aviation minister and senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia died on September 30, 2001, after a plane, which was headed to a political rally in Kanpur, crashed.
• GMC Balayogi - Lok Sabha speaker and Telugu Desam Party leader GMC Balayogi died on March 3, 2002, after his private chopper, travelling from Bhimavaram in the West Godavari district, crashed into a pond near Kaikalur in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district.
• Cyprian Sangma - Meghalaya's Rural Development Minister Cyprian Sangma was heading to Shillong from Guwahati on a Pawan Hans helicopter on September 22, 2004. Sangma, who was travelling with nine other individuals, died after the helicopter crashed near Barapani lake, close to the capital city.
• Om Prakash Jindal and Surender Singh - Haryana minister and industrialist Om Prakash Jindal and Agriculture Minister Surender Singh were travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh on March 31, 2005, when their chopper crashed near Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, killing both the leaders.
• YS Reddy - Former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, lost his life on September 2, 2009, when his Bell 430 helicopter crashed in the dense Nallamala forest due to bad weather.
• Dorjee Khandu - Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu died on April 30, 2011, when a helicopter, carrying him from Tawang to Itanagar, crashed in the West Kameng district of the state.
• CDS General Bipin Rawat - India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, lost his life in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, while he was on his way from Sulur to Wellington in Tamil Nadu. The helicopter crash, which killed Rawat, his wife and 11 others took place near Coonoor.
• Vijay Rupani - Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was among the 242 fatalities of the infamous Air India (AI171) plane crash in Ahmedabad last year. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which was headed to London's Gatwick airport on June 12, 2025, crashed within a few minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

(With PTI inputs)