Jammu, January 28, 2026 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed profound grief over the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, describing him as an able administrator and a consummate political organiser whose loss will be deeply felt across the country.
Recalling his long personal association with the senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, Abdullah said he had known Ajit Pawar since his college days in Mumbai, when he stayed with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his family. He said Pawar’s administrative acumen and political skills left a lasting impression on everyone who worked with him.
“Shocked to hear about the untimely demise of Ajit Pawar Saab. I’ve known Ajit da since my days in college in Bombay when I stayed with Sharad Pawar Saab and his family at Varsha. Ajit da was an able administrator and a consummate political organiser whose loss will be greatly felt,” Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.
The Chief Minister said he joins National Conference president Farooq Abdullah in extending heartfelt condolences to Sharad Pawar, NCP MP Supriya Sule and the entire bereaved family during this moment of immense grief.
Ajit Pawar (66) was among five people who lost their lives when a private aircraft carrying them crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Baramati Airfield in Pune district on Wednesday morning. The veteran NCP leader was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati, where he was scheduled to address a public meeting ahead of the February 5 zilla parishad elections in Maharashtra.
