The death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati has raised fresh questions about air safety in the country. Plane accidents are frequent in our country. Like Ajit Pawar, many politicians and ordinary people have lost their lives in these accidents. The crash of a plane from Mumbai to Baramati, killing all five people on board along with the crew, has raised concerns about safe air travel. It is essential to address these concerns, given the increasing use of charter flights by both ordinary and elite individuals.

It’s currently unclear what caused the plane attempting to land in Baramati to explode and burst into flames. Naturally, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will investigate the accident, relying on the black box examination. However, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that a Bombardier Learjet 45 aircraft belonging to VSR Aviation crashed in Mumbai in 2023. It’s surprising that only the preliminary investigation report on this accident has been released. Why this is so deserves attention.

Since Ajit Pawar was an influential leader in Maharashtra and had formed his own party after separating from his uncle Sharad Pawar, and he was its main man, it is natural for the question to arise as to whether his party, the NCP, would continue to exist in his absence, and who would take charge of it? Ajit Pawar, who served as Deputy Chief Minister in successive governments, was also embroiled in controversies, but he always remained politically influential.

He challenged his uncle, Sharad Pawar, and even defeated him. His NCP’s performance in the last Lok Sabha elections was unimpressive, winning only one seat. However, in the assembly elections, he demonstrated his political strength by winning 41 seats. His death could alter the political dynamics in Maharashtra.

Although the NCP was a distant third in terms of numbers in the Maharashtra government, its importance lay in its role in reducing the dominance of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena within the BJP-led government. It’s no secret that the Shiv Sena and BJP are constantly at loggerheads. The NCP has been a balance-setting force in this conflict. For some time, there has been talk that the two factions of the NCP might come together. It remains to be seen whether this will happen, and if so, in what form.