Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar passed away in a tragic plane crash in Pune's Baramati on Wednesday. His funeral was held on Thursday at a packed Vidya Pratishthan ground. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and many other prominent political leaders attended.
Meanwhile, social media has been filled with rumours that schools in Maharashtra have been closed for three days due to Pawar's demise. The Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) has clarified that this is false news. Taking to X (formerly), the DGIPR through its official handle wrote in Marathi, "Following the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the state government has declared a three-day mourning period. All government offices were closed on the day of his death, January 28, 2026. Messages circulating on social media about a three-day holiday are incorrect and misleading. Government offices and schools will remain open as usual on January 29 and 30."
Ajit Pawar's political career
In 1982, Ajit Pawar began his political career after being elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory. In 1991, he was elected as the chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991 from the Baramati Parliamentary constituency and later vacated the seat for his uncle, Sharad Pawar. He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly seven times from the Baramati Assembly constituency. He first won in a 1991 by-election and subsequently in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014.
