A Bombardier Learjet 45 crashat Baramati, Maharashtra, on January 28, 2026 led to the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
In 1991, he was first elected as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Baramati constituency, which he represented for eight terms.
In 2023, he made a split within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) by aligning with the BJP-led coalition.
In February 2024, the Election Commission of India acknowledged Ajit Pawar’s faction as the official NCP.
The same year, he was sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister for a sixth time.