Ajit Pawar Joins List of Indian Leaders Lost to Aviation Tragedies
From chief ministers to governors, aviation disasters have repeatedly struck India's elite leaders—here's the tragic roster.
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, perished at 66 in a devastating plane crash at Baramati airport on January 28, 2026. The aircraft, en route from Mumbai for zilla parishad election campaign rallies on February 5, carried five people—all killed on impact. Son of Sharad Pawar's elder brother Anantrao, Pawar entered politics in 1982 via a sugar cooperative, later chairing Pune District Cooperative Bank for 16 years. Elected Lok Sabha MP from Baramati in 1991, he vacated it for Sharad's ministerial needs and won the MLA seat that year, holding it ever since amid political turbulence.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani died on June 12, 2025, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 777 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, killing over 200. Rupani, who led Gujarat from 2016 to 2021, was aboard for official travel; investigations pointed to engine failure amid stormy weather. His death shocked the BJP, as he had navigated the state through COVID-19 and economic reforms.
India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, met a tragic end on December 8, 2021, when his Mi-17V5 helicopter crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, en route to the Defence Services Staff College. Rawat, his wife Madhulika, and 11 others perished in the fiery wreckage due to foggy conditions and possible human error. A decorated soldier who modernized India's military, his loss prompted national mourning and aviation protocol reviews.
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy died on September 3, 2009, in a Bell 430 helicopter crash over Rudrakonda forest while heading to Chittoor district. The Congress stalwart, known for welfare schemes like Aarogyasri, vanished mid-flight; wreckage was found after a massive search. His untimely death triggered political upheaval, with son Jagan Mohan Reddy later forming YSRCP.
Madhavrao Scindia, Congress leader and former Union minister from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior royalty, was killed on September 30, 2001, in a plane crash near Kanpur en route to a rally. The 56-year-old's Beechcraft skidded off a rain-slicked runway; poor maintenance was blamed. Scindia's aviation passion ironically sealed his fate, leaving a void in Congress's upper echelons.
Earlier tragedies include Punjab Governor Surendra Nath's 1994 crash in Himachal Pradesh, killing him and nine family members; Sanjay Gandhi's 1980 glider mishap in Delhi; and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's disputed 1945 plane fire in Taiwan. Others like Dorjee Khandu (2011), OP Jindal (2005), and GMC Balayogi (2002) underscore aviation's peril for leaders in India's rugged terrain.
Also Read: NCP Plunges into Grief as Party Members Break Down Over Ajit Pawar’s Death
