One month of Ajit Pawar’s death marked several developments

Mumbai: It has been one month since the 28 January 2026 Baramati plane crash that claimed four lives including the then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar. However, the past month has seen a series of developments including the fizzling out of a possible merger with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), at least, for now.

Ajit Pawar (66), a six-time Deputy Chief Minister, a grassroots politician and an able administrator, shot into national news in June-July 2023 when he revolted against his uncle and mentor Sharad Pawar and crossed over from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA to ruling Maha Yuti-NDA changing Maharashtra’s political scenario.

After the ups and downs in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls of 2024, Ajit Pawar engaged with leaders of NCP (SP) for a possible merger, however, his death seems to have delayed it for now.

Within three days, Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar (62) was elected NCP legislature party leader and sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat on 31 January.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis allotted the State Excise Duty, Sports and Youth Affairs, Minorities Development and Aukaf ministries to her, but kept Finance and Planning with himself in view of the impending State Budget 2026-27.

On 10 February, she formally took charge at Mantralaya and attended the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the next day called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

On 26 February, Sunetra Pawar was formally anointed NCP President.

Sunetra Pawar will resign her Rajya Sabha membership and seek a bye-election from Baramati.

Her elder son Parth Pawar will contest the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

After taking over, Sunetra Pawar, along senior leaders including NCP Working President Praful Patel and NCP state President and Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare, has formally demanded a CBI probe which the Maharashtra government has recommended to the Centre.

On the other hand, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar targeted the NCP leadership saying that the Sunetra Pawar is being controlled by “four leaders” and also who these leaders were deciding whether her younger son Jay Pawar would sit.

Besides, Rohit Pawar addressed a serious of press conferences demanding the resignation or removal of Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu till the probe is over as TDP leadership has financial relations with VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, the charter company. He also also accused of certain Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials having links with VSR.

After the crash, the Baramati Taluka police has registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), numbered 11/2026 Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Based on that, the Maharashtra government ordered a CID probe.

However, Rohit Pawar’s efforts to get an FIR registered in Baramati and Mumbai failed.

CBI chief and Additional Director General of Police Sunil Ramanand said that multiple issues are being probed. “The CID investigation is focused on three key points: first, whether there was criminal conspiracy behind the incident leading to an act of sabotage, second, whether there was criminal negligence, a rash or negligent act; and third, whether there was any criminal omission,” he said.

Meanwhile, the preliminary report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is to be mandatorily submitted within 30 days, is awaited.