Goodbye, Dada: Ajit Pawar Laid To Rest With Full State Honours In Baramati

Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar was cremated with full state honours in Baramati on Thursday, as family members, senior political leaders and thousands of supporters assembled to bid him a final farewell. The atmosphere in the town was heavy with grief as people gathered in large numbers to honour the late leader.

Ajit Pawar’s mortal remains, wrapped in the national flag, were brought from his native village Katewadi to Baramati for the last rites. His sons, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar, performed the funeral rituals and lit the pyre, marking an emotional moment for the family and supporters present at the cremation ground.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid his last respects, along with several senior leaders and party workers. The Maharashtra Police and state authorities accorded ceremonial honours as the funeral procession passed through Baramati, reflecting Pawar’s long public service and political stature.

Ajit Pawar, aged 66, died on Wednesday morning after a chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 kilometres from Pune. The aircraft went down during the approach, killing everyone on board, including two pilots, a flight attendant and Pawar’s personal security officer.

Residents from Katewadi and nearby villages, along with NCP supporters, gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan sports ground in Baramati, raising slogans and expressing deep sorrow over the loss of a leader they closely identified with. Emotions ran high as many mourners chanted appeals remembering him as “Ajit Dada.”

Several prominent personalities also visited Pawar’s residence in Katewadi to pay their respects, including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, accompanied by his family, actor Riteish Deshmukh, and other well-known figures, underscoring the widespread impact of Ajit Pawar’s passing.