Just minutes before the tragic plane crash in Baramati, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar made a phone call to his cousin and party worker, Shreejit Pawar.
In audio clips of the conversation, which Shreejit shared with the media on Wednesday, Ajit Pawar expressed his commitment to uniting people of all religions and castes in the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. In the recording, Ajit discussed how he had carefully selected candidates for the elections, ensuring representation from all communities.
"I texted Dada (Ajit Pawar) at 8:30 am to talk about the elections. He said we will take people of all religions and castes together... At 8:37 am, he called me and said that we will move forward together with everyone," Shreejit said.
Ajit Pawar, 66, the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, tragically died in a plane crash on January 28 while en route to Baramati for a rally ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections. His last rites were held with full state honors at Vidya Pratishthan College, an educational institution founded by the Pawar family, in Baramati on January 29.
Meanwhile, Ajit’s untimely death has raised questions about the ongoing merger talks between the two warring factions of the NCP.
Just two days after the tragedy, Sunetra Pawar, Ajit's wife, took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister in the Mahayuti government. Her swift appointment has sparked speculation, with many in political circles suggesting it may have been an attempt by the Mahayuti to derail the NCP merger talks.
