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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a...

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, co-pilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The government released a statement detailing the sequence of events that led to the crash and Pawar's death. The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back' to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway. In aviation parlance, a go-around is a standard procedure where a pilot discontinues a landing attempt and initiates a climb to fly another approach. It is used when a landing cannot be completed safely due to factors like poor weather, an unstable approach, or traffic on the runway. It is a proactive safety measure rather than an emergency. In aviation, a readback is a crucial safety procedure where a pilot repeats back the essential parts of a message or instruction received from Air Traffic Control (ATC). It acts as a "closed-loop" communication system, ensuring that the controller's instructions were heard and understood correctly by the flight crew. The aircraft was trying to land amid poor visibility, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told reporters in Pune. The statement by his ministry recounted the final minutes of the ill-fated Learjet 45 belonging to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd that crashed, leading to the death of all five persons on board, including Pawar. Fatal Flight The ill-fated aircraft was a Bombardier Learjet 45, a twin-engine business jet commonly used for corporate and charter travel. Designed to carry between six and nine passengers, the Learjet 45 has a range of approximately 2,000 nautical miles and is powered by twin turbofan engines. The aircraft involved in the crash belonged to a charter operator and was being used for a non-scheduled private flight.According to preliminary information from aviation authorities and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions while approaching Baramati. Dense fog enveloped the Pune–Baramati region at the time, drastically reducing visibility and complicating the landing procedure. Probe Begins A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has reached the Baramati crash site to launch a forensic probe into the VSR Venture's Learjet 45 aircraft accident. "The investigation team has reached the (crash) site. They are on the work," the AAIB official told PTI. The official, however, declined to share further details. Earlier in the day, AAIB, which has the mandate to investigate all accidents and serious incidents/incidents involving aircraft with a gross weight of 2,250 kg or turbojet aircraft, was handed the probe into the crash. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-SSK, was being operated by the Delhi-based non-scheduled operator VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. The crew was advised to descend in visual meteorological conditions at the pilot's discretion, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in its statement. At that time, the winds were calm, and visibility was around 3,000 metres, it said. Baramati airfield does not have an instrumental landing system - a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to an aircraft, allowing it to approach a runway at night, during bad weather and poor visibility. Ajit Pawar's last rites will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11 am. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared three days of state mourning across state till January 30 as a mark of respect to Ajit Pawar. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is flown regularly. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period. “Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader. This loss is irreparable. Not all things are in our hands. A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it.” Sharad Pawar, President, NCP (SP)

Maharashtra politics at crossroads yet again

Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrive to pay their last respects to Ajit Pawar in Baramati.
Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrive to pay their last respects to Ajit Pawar in Baramati.

Mumbai: Ajit Pawar’s sudden death has thrown Maharashtra’s fragile post 2023 political arithmetic into flux. The immediate question is whether the two NCP factions will merge — stabilising both the Centre and the Mahayuti in the short term — or whether a split realignment will strengthen the BJP at the expense of a distinct NCP. Local power centres in Mumbai and Pune will be decisive in the coming weeks as party legislators and state leaders weigh options.


Presence of Ajit Pawar’s faction within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) played the role of a dependable NDA ally, lending numerical strength and political legitimacy without demanding a visible share in power. In Maharashtra, where coalition arithmetic remains delicate, the calculus has been far more strategic. BJP’s decision to induct Ajit Pawar into the Mahayuti alliance was widely viewed as an effort to balance Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and prevent any single ally from dominating the coalition. This triangulation has helped the BJP maintain leverage while ensuring the continuity of the state government.


Postponed Reunion

For months, there were strong indications that the two NCP factions—one led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) and the other by Ajit Pawar—were exploring the possibility of reunification. Political analysts suggest that such a move was deliberately deferred, reportedly at the behest of the BJP, until after the local body elections. With the untimely demise of the prominent NCP leader, the political environment has shifted yet again. The emotional and organisational vacuum has revived discussions around reunification, succession, and long-term positioning of the party within Maharashtra’s power structure.


Scenario One: Merger and power-sharing within the NDA

Among political observers, the most discussed—and arguably most stable—scenario involves a merger of the two NCP factions followed by their formal accommodation within the NDA and the Mahayuti. In such an arrangement, senior NCP-SP leaders like Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil could take on roles at the Centre and in the Maharashtra government respectively.


This outcome would offer multiple advantages. For the BJP, it would consolidate numbers, reduce internal coalition friction, and neutralise the Pawar factor by integrating it rather than confronting it. For the NCP, reunification would restore organisational coherence and protect its identity while retaining access to power. For the state government, it would likely translate into greater stability, particularly as Maharashtra moves toward crucial electoral milestones.


Scenario Two: Sharad Pawar resists alignment with the BJP

The situation becomes considerably more complicated if Sharad Pawar chooses to remain outside the BJP-led arrangements. Such a decision would deepen the fault lines within the NCP. In this scenario, several legislators—MLAs, MLCs, and even MPs—from Ajit Pawar’s faction may opt to directly join the BJP to safeguard or enhance their political futures in both the state and at the Centre.


While this could strengthen the BJP numerically, it would come at the cost of hollowing out the NCP as an independent political force. At the same time, not all leaders from either faction may find direct absorption into the BJP politically or ideologically comfortable, particularly those with strong regional bases built under the NCP’s banner.


Scenario Three: A separate NCP within the NDA framework

If resistance to a merger with the BJP remains strong among elected representatives, a third option could emerge: the NCP continuing as a distinct entity within the NDA and Mahayuti. This arrangement would preserve the party’s separate identity while aligning it with the ruling coalition at both levels.


Such a model, however, would require careful power-sharing and constant negotiation, especially given the BJP’s dominant position. It would also test Sharad Pawar’s willingness to accept a reduced, non-central role within an alliance led firmly by the BJP.


Pawar Question

At the heart of all these scenarios lies Sharad Pawar himself. Should the party he founded insist on aligning closely with the BJP without a decisive leadership role for him, Pawar may choose to step away from active politics rather than operate as a subordinate partner.


An announcement of retirement, while symbolic, would mark the end of an era in Maharashtra politics and accelerate generational change within the NCP.


Road Ahead

For now, Maharashtra’s political future remains open-ended. The choices made by the Pawar family, the calculations of the BJP, and the aspirations of NCP legislators will together determine whether the state moves toward consolidation or further fragmentation.


What is clear is that every possible outcome carries implications not just for Maharashtra, but for the broader balance of power in national politics as well.

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