Grief swept through Baramati in Pune district on Thursday as Maharashtra bid farewell to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who lost his life in a tragic plane crash. His last rites were performed with full state honours.
Riteish attends Ajit Pawar`s last rites
Several political leaders arrived in Baramati to attend the funeral of the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Actor Riteish Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, also arrived in Baramati to pay his last respects.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde were present at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati, the Pawar family’s hometown, located about 100 km from Pune. Thousands of mourners gathered as chants of “Ajit Dada amar rahe” echoed when his mortal remains, draped in the national flag, were brought from his village Katewadi to the venue.
#WATCH | Actor Riteish Deshmukh attends the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in Baramati pic.twitter.com/rV0Klhfl6v
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
As the funeral pyre was lit by Pawar’s sons, Parth and Jay, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar sat in silence. His younger brother Prataprao Pawar was also present. Several leaders, including Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Naveen Patnaik, Ramdas Athawale, Pramod Sawant, Sushilkumar Shinde, Rahul Narwekar, and Nara Lokesh, paid floral tributes. Ajit Pawar’s younger brother Shriniwas Pawar, his sisters, and other family members also offered their respects. His cousin Supriya Sule, the NCP (SP) Lok Sabha member from Baramati, stood with Sunetra Pawar to console her as she paid tributes to her late husband.
Riteish Deshmukh’s tribute to Ajit Pawar
Actor Riteish Deshmukh expressed deep grief over the sudden demise of Ajit Pawar. Calling him “one of Maharashtra’s most dynamic leaders,” Riteish praised his work ethic, sharp wit, and straightforward nature.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Riteish wrote that Pawar’s untimely passing has left behind an irreplaceable void. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the Pawar family, loved ones, and supporters.
Ajit Pawar passed away in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all six passengers on board, along with Pawar, did not survive the crash. The aircraft reportedly went down while landing near Baramati, nearly an hour after taking off from Mumbai.
