officials said, after their chartered aircraft crashed in the western state of Maharashtra. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar's plane crashed in an open field at about 8:30 am (0300 GMT) while landing at Baramati airport, local media reported. The 66-year-old, a key political figure in Maharashtra which is home to India's financial hub Mumbai, had been travelling in a Bombardier Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Aviation. He was travelling with his personal security officer, an assistant, and two crew members at the time of the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a "leader of the people" in a post he shared to X on Wednesday following the deadly incident. Modi said Pawar's "untimely demise" was both "shocking and saddening" in the post.

"Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people... (with) a strong grassroots level connect," Modi said, adding that he was a "widely respected" and "hardworking" political stalwart. "His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy." DGCA is investigating the matter. (Bssnews)